Paul L., a student at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University, has been sentenced by the Paris criminal court to one month in prison with a suspended sentence for taking part in an antisemitic poll shared in his class WhatsApp group. The court also ordered him to complete a mandatory two-day educational programme at the Holocaust Memorial in Paris.
Through his lawyer, he indicated that he would not appeal the decision, describing the sentence as “severe considering his personality”. His lawyer characterised him as a “somewhat lost young man”.
Two students were tried in connection with the case. Prosecutors had requested a ten-month suspended prison sentence for Teba N. and a three-month suspended sentence for Paul L., along with Holocaust memorial education for both, with a €4,000 fine sought as an alternative.
The incidents, which occurred at the start of the 2025–2026 academic year, caused significant controversy. The Minister for Higher Education, Philippe Baptiste, strongly condemned the “antisemitic acts”, stating that “everything will be done to prosecute” those responsible.
The case involving Esteban, a minor, was referred to the juvenile court in Perpignan. He had created a poll in a class WhatsApp group asking “Jews, for or against?”, in which he himself voted “against”, as did Paul L. The message prompted strong reactions from other students, including comments such as “Are you out of your mind?” and “What’s wrong with you?”
Teba N., also 18, was separately accused of removing several classmates from a group chat on Instagram after identifying them as having “Jewish-sounding” names. She was prosecuted for school harassment and for incitement to discrimination, hatred, or violence based on origin. During her trial, she stated that she had removed the accounts after noticing they followed pro-Israeli military pages and a “Support Israel” account, which she said made her uncomfortable and led her to act “as a precaution”.
In court, Paul L. denied any antisemitic intent, stating he had “no ulterior motive, no grievance against the Jewish people”, and said he had been “very intoxicated” at the time of responding to the poll.
Following the incidents, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University launched disciplinary proceedings against Teba N., reiterating that it “will not tolerate any threats, pressure, or harassment campaigns” and affirming that “antisemitic, racist, or xenophobic acts and remarks have no place at the university”.
