That is what the university association VSNU writes in its guidelines for ‘Addressing threats to and harassment of scientists’. According to the VSNU, scientists who make media and other public appearances are increasingly faced with threats and harassment. Last March, for example, assistant professor Nadia Bouras of Leiden University discovered a sticker of the radical right-wing platform Vizier op Links on her door. But the ‘threats that make the news, such as threats to Covid-19 scientists or the sticker campaigns launched by Vizier op Links are just the tip of the iceberg’, according to the association.
On Monday, these guidelines were presented to associate professor of law Afshin Ellian and diversity officer Aya Ezawa, among others, who are both affiliated to Leiden University and are frequently faced with threats.
HATEFUL MESSAGES
During a tour of the universities, VSNU noted ‘examples ranging from scientists who require permanent protection because of concrete threats (sometimes even for years), to diversity officers who are confronted with hateful messages when their position is announced and to employees who can expect hundreds of harassing messages whenever their name is mentioned on Twitter.’
The universities have agreed that a report will be filed in case of a punishable offence. ‘Preferably by the employer, because the employee often considers this a burdensome experience.’ Moreover, this means that the employer’s address will be included in the report instead of the employee’s address.
ONLINE RESILIENCE
Furthermore, the university ensures that ‘employees have one single primary contact so that they don’t have to tell their story over and over again’. Attention is the decisive factor for an employee when it comes to the support that they receive when faced with threats and harassment, according to the VSNU. ‘This applies not only to the report and the way the report is dealt with, but also to the aftercare and follow-up after an incident.’
Universities ensure that employees receive all the support they need. Examples include ‘providing online resilience training and psychosocial help’.
In addition, the universities are setting up a joint platform: WetenschapVeilig. This is a national point of contact that will also improve the information service, measures and interaction with, for example, the judicial authorities and the police.
‘I came home with my husband and my two daughters, I walked up the stairs and I saw something above the front door’, assistant professor of history Nadia Bouras (1981) told Mare this spring.
‘I thought it might be about our doorbell, because it wasn’t working at the time. But when I read “Vizier op Links”, it hit me. I thought: holy fuck, this is intended for me. I was shaking like a leaf and I could feel tears welling up. The fact that they invade your private life like this is so scary. Offensive tweets are something you can ignore, but this isn’t.’
The harassment caused by the radical right-wing platform has had a major impact. ‘It takes over your life for a while. When I was throwing away the rubbish, I would check if there was someone behind a tree. When my children were playing on the pavement, I would say: “If someone talks to you, you come up right away.”’
The university responded ‘magnificently’, Bouras says. ‘Rector Hester Bijl called immediately and the chief security officer sent me a message. On the university’s initiative, the district police officer came by. I filed a report. The sticker may not be a punishable offence, but it is certainly threatening.’
‘It’s very good that these guidelines have been published’, Bouras responds. ‘Serious consideration is being given to how universities can protect their employees. It’s also a good thing that it is standard practice to file a report, especially when it comes to serious threats. The sticker is one thing, but the fact that Marion Koopmans and other members of the OMT are receiving death threats and are being visited at home is completely out of line. So, this is an appropriate measure, and it also serves as a signal to society: “This is unacceptable and we’re going to fight this tooth and nail”. As a society, we should feel deeply ashamed of the fact that scientists are being threatened or harassed.
‘Scientists sometimes get the feeling that they’re on their own, that there is little support. This was not the case for me, though. The rector responded immediately. By means of these guidelines, all universities show their support for their employees.
In addition, I would like to see universities speak out against the parties in the Lower House that make the work of scientists unsafe; parties that spread misinformation about the coronavirus or that establish a contact point for indoctrination where you can report supposedly left-wing scientists. This problem doesn't just come out of the blue.
‘I haven’t received any further information about my report and I don’t have the impression that anyone is still working on it, but the university’s attention and severity have certainly been effective. It’s a great help when an employer immediately speaks out against this kind of thing, and it has definitely made an impression.’