The Institute of Catalan Studies (IEC) decided this Thursday to abruptly suspend the management of the Catalan Association of Sociology (ACS), led by members of the academic group currently under investigation within the University of Barcelona (UB). Furthermore, the Catalan cultural institution opened an internal investigation and intervened on the websites and social networks of the association, which is listed as one of its subsidiaries.
The resolution of the Permanent Council of the CEI is supported from the start by the internal investigation of the UB, focused on the complaints against Professor Ramon Flecha but also on the role played by his research group, the CREA. Its director, Marta Soler, has been president of the Catalan Sociological Association since 2017 and is therefore among the graduates.
In their explanatory memorandum, IEC officials cite examples of entities and groups that have recently positioned themselves not only in favor of the women who denounce Flecha, but also against the academic and professional practices of CREA. Among them, they cite the Spanish Federation of Sociology, CCOO or the Feminist Assembly of the UB.
The resolution also recalls that up to eight sociology research groups from different Catalan universities have denounced in recent weeks the links between the Association Council and CREA. And they also reveal how one of the fired people refused to temporarily remove from the institutional site the interviews with Ramon Flecha or Marta Soler.
This is why one of the precautionary measures now adopted by the CEI is to intervene and block the Association’s websites and social networks. This is in addition to the aforementioned suspension of members of the Board of Directors, of the activities and actions of the entity, and of its possibility of reserving IEC spaces.
Finally, the CEI details the opening of an internal investigation at the ACS since Soler held his presidency, that is to say since 2017. Made up of Maria Corominas and Josep González-Agàpito, it must submit a report within three months. In less than six months, the CIS Permanent Council is expected to adopt a new resolution on the issue.
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