A Serbian national who claims he has been bullied out of Trinity College by university authorities has appealed to the public for support.
Postgraduate student Aleks-andar Zejak, who came to study at TCD in 2007 after winning a prestigious scholarship from the Irish Research Council for Science and Engineering and Technology, told Metro Éireann that he would be forced to leave the country if the college fails to reinstate him, as well as resolve ongoing issues related to his tuition.
“My student visa expired on 31 October, and I had two weeks grace from then to renew it or leave the country,” he explains. “Unfortunately, my grant is cut and I cannot be issued with a new GNIB card, which means I have to leave the country.”
Metro Éireann understands that Zejak, who is working on a PhD in theoretical physics, has a complex relationship with Trinity authorities, who he claimed have formulated stories about his mental health and assessed him as unfit before finally expelling him from the college.
“I was suspended on 1 July 2009 by the junior dean of the college, who claimed that I was mentally ill,” Zejak told Metro Éireann. “They did not provide any legal or medical evidence as to the basis in fact, except their belief and concerns about my mental well-being.”
Before his suspension Zejak said that, despite representations from his friends and college associates that he was completely fit to continue his studies, he was forced to see an external psychiatrist. He said this amounted to gross violation of Trinity College statutes.
Zejak added that in spite of his pending appeal to the academic authorities, the board of the college approved the conditions of his suspension when it met on 8 July last.
“That included locking my office, where I have my private and Trinity College properties, including books. I was not permitted to enter the campus, which is a public place, and my ID card was deactivated,” he said.
However, a meeting of the dean’s consultation group, also on 8 July, warned about carrying out any medical and psychiatric assessment of a student before suspension, according to a copy of the minutes seen by Metro Éireann.
According to Zejak, all efforts to persuade Trinity authorities to properly investigate his case have proven abortive. He said his PhD supervisor, who is a Romanian national, has never been consulted about his well being, and that college authorities have completely ignored his supervisor’s oral and written representations on his behalf.
Just a few days before his appeal was heard on 2 November, Zejak said his grant was cut by the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology on the instruction of Trinity College authorities. He also accused the college of attempting to organise a kangaroo court by not allowing him to bring witnesses from outside the college, despite the fact that the college had its own external legal experts, including two solicitors and a barrister, at the appeal.
Patrick Maphoso, one of those who was not allowed to accompany Zejak to the appeal hearing, told Metro Éireann: “I think the hearing was actually flawed because he was not allowed to bring in outside witnesses. I was there as a community representative to witness what was going on.”
He continued: “To me as an outsider, it gives me an indication into the way immigrants are treated in college. There is no respect from the college to people that came to support Zejak. It’s all about bullying.
“It appeared that Trinity College was tampering with Zejak’s witnesses,” Maphoso said, adding that he saw a senior member of the college in deep conversation with another of Zejak’s witnesses.
Meanwhile, Trinity College has described Zejak’s claim as inaccurate and unfounded. In a statement, the college said: “In the interests of the privacy and confidentiality of students, the college does not discuss the details of individual cases.”
It added: “However, although constrained in what we can say, we wish to put on record that the allegations being made by Mr Zejak and his supporters are inaccurate and unfounded. We also reserve the right to take any additional action to protect the reputation of the college and its officers.”
