The teacher had made himself a trinket meant to be the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in language sciences.

A literature professor from Franche-Comté, accused of fabricating an international gold medal, is now banned from working in higher education as a result of a disciplinary sanction, the University of Besançon indicated on Tuesday, confirming information from the daily newspaper "L'Est Républicain".

Florent Montaclair, born in 1970, is accused of having falsely claimed to hold a "Gold Medal in Philology," supposedly the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in this branch of linguistics, but which was likely a hoax he himself orchestrated. He is under investigation by the Montbéliard (Doubs) Public Prosecutor's Office for forgery, use of forged documents, fraud, and impersonating an official. The authorities are also looking into a purported doctorate he allegedly obtained from a dubious American university, suspected of being a shell company invented by Montaclair.

"Banned from higher education"

Since April 7, Mr. Montaclair has been subject to a disciplinary sanction, which he did not contest and which is now final, the Marie and Louis Pasteur University of Besançon, his former employer, told AFP. He is "prohibited from carrying out his teaching or research duties in a public higher education institution."

The professor "no longer holds any position at the university" where he had been employed for over 20 years, stated the university's deputy director of communications, Mathilde Dehestru. This dismissal from the university automatically reinstated him, "very recently," to the ranks of the national education system, where he previously taught, indicated a spokesperson for the Besançon regional education authority.

An evaluation process regarding the allegations against him has been launched by the Ministry of Education and could potentially lead to disciplinary action. At this stage, he has not been reassigned to a middle or high school, as the academic authorities are currently reviewing his case, the spokesperson added.