After racism scandal

Slogans on Sylt: Participant allowed to stay at university

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/leszekglasner - stock.adobe.com)

Following the publication of a video from the North Sea island of Sylt, in which party guests shouted racist slogans to the song "L'amour Toujours" by Gigi D'Agostino, there was great outrage. The university of one of the participants examined whether she should be expelled. The result: she is allowed to continue studying, but is still banned from the educational institution until the end of July.

The recording spread rapidly on social media. The young guests sang "Foreigners out" and "Germany to the Germans" in a pub. The owner subsequently distanced himself - the university of one of the participants also took action and banned the student from the premises.

The exmatriculation committee of the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW) examined the case and, according to German media, came to the following conclusion: "There will be no exmatriculation proceedings against the HAW Hamburg student who took part in the racist chants at a party on Sylt."

University explains: exclusion would be a serious infringement of fundamental rights
The statement went on to say that proportionality had been weighed up. After all, exmatriculation is a serious encroachment on fundamental rights, it was explained. The ban and the individual study situation were also taken into account. After careful consideration, a unanimous decision was made against the de-registration procedure.

The HAW had distanced itself from the video made at Whitsun and the content expressed in it, the institution also announced. It stands "as an open-minded university against racism in any form and makes its decisions based on its responsibility to cultivate and demand open and respectful coexistence."