The Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) archived the administrative case against professor Luciano Bezerra Gomes. The internal procedure was opened because the teacher wore a Landless Workers Movement (MST) t-shirt in the classroom.
Although he recognizes that there were no illegal or irregular actions on the part of the professor, the UFPB Ombudsman’s Office recommended that he or other professors not wear clothes that cause “conflicts” on the University’s premises.
“It is recommended that teachers present themselves in clothing that cannot produce conflicts of this nature again”, wrote UFPB ombudsman Hermann Atila.
A professor of Medicine at UFPB for 15 years, Luciano told Brasil de Fato that he is the target of persecution for political opposition to the University’s management. He received support from the UFPB teaching union, ADUFPB, and also from the MST.
:: ‘Unfounded complaint’, says UFPB professor subject to administrative proceedings for wearing an MST t-shirt in the classroom ::
“Persecution not only of me as a natural person, but of the very notion of the university as a democratic, plural space, where the debate of ideas is encouraged, where the constitutional right to freedom of thought and expression is valued and respected”, stated the teacher.
Professor says he is being persecuted for opposing “bionic” dean
The server is part of the Department of Health Promotion at the Center for Medical Sciences (CCM), where he has taught on the institution’s medical course for 15 years. He also coordinates the master’s degree in Public Health at UFPB and is responsible for an extension project approved by the University that supports the MST health sector in the state.
Luciano says he is being persecuted for opposing the “bionic” rector of the UFPB, Valdiney Gouveia, who was nominated for the position by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) even though he was placed last in the 2020 elections. they chained themselves to the rectory door in protest against the rector’s appointment.
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“I am one of the people who has always been very explicit against this action by the federal government to place an illegitimate rector appointed by an authoritarian, undemocratic government that disrespected university autonomy”, said the professor of medicine.
Luciano also maintains that wearing the MST t-shirt did not cause any conflict in the classroom. In the administrative process, to which the report had access, there is no mention of conflictual situations.
“There was no type of animosity on my part, nor on the part of the students or anyone who was the author of this complaint”, reports the teacher.
Complaint says teacher made “political propaganda”
The complaint against Luciano was filed on August 31, 2023. According to the complainant, the professor had also carried out “political propaganda” through slides with the movement’s logo.
The professor says he did not use MST symbols in the teaching material and explained that he eventually needs to use his personal computer in the classroom, due to the scrapping of the structure provided by the university. According to Gomes, his private notebook has photos of the extension project on his desktop.
Other side
Brasil de Fato requested a position from the UFPB rectory. When there is a response, the report will be updated.
Editing: Camila Salmazio
