Breaking News

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

U of M's long, controversial legal battle ends with math professor leaving

By: Aldo Santin

Posted: 11/10/2011 10:12 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies) | Last Modified: 11/11/2011 3:43 PM | Updates

University of Manitoba math professor Gabor Lukacs appealed his three-month suspension without pay over the awarding of a PhD to a student he said failed his final exam. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES)

A two-year dispute between the University of Manitoba and one of its young math professors was settled Thursday night, but the deal will see the professor leave the school.

The U of M and Gabor Lukacs issued a joint statement Thursday night, saying they mutually agreed to end the dispute over the school’s decision to award a PhD to a student who lacked the necessary qualification.

"The University has rescinded all disciplinary actions against Professor Lukacs (including reprimand, suspension and denial of increment)," reads the statement. "All outstanding legal proceedings between the parties are terminated.

"The parties have also agreed that it is to their mutual benefit to end the employment relationship."

The agreement was reached hours before the resumption of an arbitration hearing was to begin this afternoon, where Lukacs and the faculty association were fighting to overturn the reprimand and three-months suspension without pay.

Lukacs said today he hopes to find work at another university in Canada, but may also look at positions in Europe or the United States. "I am determined to continue my career in teaching and researching mathematics, which is what I love the most," he said.

In the meantime, Lukacs is working on finishing two papers and advising a doctorate student at Cornell University. He has also launched a website for his work at http://topgroups.ca/~lukacs/ and is working to complete some presentations for future conferences.

Lukacs, 28, had challenged the university administration’s decision to award a PhD to a student who had failed a key exam twice, waived the necessity for the exam and exempted the student from some academic requirements. The student claimed he had failed the exam due to a condition known as exam anxiety.

Lukacs was suspended two years ago after he went to court to challenge the university administration’s decision to award the degree after he had exhausted appeals through the school’s academic bodies. The university claimed the suspension was justified because Lukacs had violated the student’s privacy when naming him in court documents.

Lukacs lost his court challenge when the judge ruled he did not have the right to challenge the university, but the professor was preparing an appeal.

Lukacs is a child math prodigy who began university at the age of 12, received his master's degree at 16 and earned his PhD from York University in Toronto at 20.

The U of M and Lukacs said details of the settlement are confidential and will not be disclosed.

History

Updated on Friday, November 11, 2011 at 3:43 PM CST:
Adds quotes from Lukacs regarding future plans.

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.