A University Professor Accused of Harassment Appears on TV3 Against the 'Far Right'

TV3 aired the documentary “Fora de joc” this Sunday about the situation of unaccompanied foreign minors (menas) arriving in Catalonia. It is a very current topic, especially since the PSOE-Junts agreement to limit the arrival of 'menas' in Catalonia. But as expected with Catalonia's public television, the focus has been anything but objective.

The documentary aims to put itself in the shoes of the unaccompanied minors arriving in Catalonia. What they do, where they go, how they feel, if they receive papers. Many have seen it as another attempt to whitewash illegal immigration, especially with the menas.

There are also no shortage of one-sided voices labeling anyone who dares to challenge the official narrative as far-right. One of them is Mostafà Shaimi, a professor in the Department of Pedagogy at the University of Girona (UdG). It turns out that Mostafà was accused last year of harassing at least two students in his master's classes.

What This Professor Says in the Documentary

In the documentary, Mostafà states that there is “too much pressure” on these young people because when they make mistakes, they pay “too high a price.” This creates “stress” on them that “further complicates their situation.”

In the documentary, Mostafà talks about a “stigmatization” of young foreigners and accuses the “far-right” of “exploiting these situations.” Although he also acknowledges that it “has an empirical point.” But for him, “the administration's malpractice” and its “lack of protection” of these minors is helping the rise of the far-right.

Accused Twice of Harassment

In February of last year, the Feminist Platform of the UdG publicly denounced two cases of sexual harassment by this professor at the university. According to Diari de Gironia, they accuse him of sending them suggestive messages when they were his students. Mostafà himself admitted to making sexual propositions to them but denied the harassment and offered to mediate with them.

According to the complainants, the professor had asked for their phone numbers during a tutorial, and both agreed to give it to him. He sent them sexual messages via WhatsApp. Although they tried to stop him, he continued with what they consider “full-blown harassment.”

The university proposed the immediate expulsion of this professor, who denied being a harasser and considers himself a scapegoat. Now he has appeared on TV3, public television paid for by all Catalans, to lecture those who point out the problem of menas in Catalonia. Shaimir has collaborated with other entities and institutions, and with subsidized media like Ara.