He was fired after students began reporting sexual harassment and emotional abuse. Kupč demands his reinstatement and compensation.
He is represented in court by lawyer Andris Jēkabsons. According to him, the demand is to recognize the termination of the employment relationship as illegal and reinstate him. In compensation, Kupčs demands payment of the unpaid salary.
Kupčs lost his position as head of the ancient music department and later as a teacher at the Academy of Music after his name appeared several times in the scandal of sexual harassment and emotional abuse.
In this legal proceeding, the dispute is about whether the decision made by the State Police on the application of a security measure, which prohibits the occupation of the positions that Māris Kupčs has occupied, is a sufficient basis for terminating the employment legal relationship, according to the representative of the academy, Dace Teice.
Last week, the Riga City Court rejected the application of another former teacher and former head of another department, Rolandas Kronlak, to the court against the Academy of Music. He also challenged the dismissal.
It has already been reported that the police started criminal proceedings in March in connection with the published information about the possible harassment of female students by the teachers of the academy.
Latvian Television program “Kultūršoks” received the testimonies of seven JVLMA students about sexual harassment by some lecturers.
The information available to the program shows that several complaints have been received about at least one lecturer. One of the lecturers who may have transgressed the boundaries in contact with female students is the head of the Department of Ancient Music, Māris Kupčs.