Leader of France’s elite university offers to step aside for now

The director of France’s elite university Sciences Po said Monday he is temporarily resigning from his post after being accused of domestic violence.

In an emailed statement to the university community, Mathias Vicherat, 45, said he had proposed to temporarily withdraw from his position. The Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, one of two boards that oversee the school, will meet on Wednesday to determine the terms of Mr. Vicherat’s withdrawal, including its duration and whether he will continue to be paid.

Mr Vicherat and his partner were arrested by police this month after accusing each other of domestic violence. Although police and prosecutors have not named that partner, she is widely identified in the French press as Anissa Bonnefont, a director and actress. Neither Mr. Vicherat nor Ms. Bonnefont have filed formal charges. Prosecutors say they are investigating the incident.

In his statement to the students, Mr Vicherat denied the allegations. “I have not committed such acts under any circumstances,” he said, noting that “after our police custody, no complaint was filed, nor was a judicial review or protective order issued.”

After the allegations came to light, students staged a sit-in on campus and put up posters calling for Mr. Vicherat’s resignation.

Mr. Vicherat took the helm of Sciences Po in 2021, during a tumultuous time. He succeeded Frédéric Mion, who resigned after admitting knowledge of incest allegations against an old professor but taking no action. Mr Mion’s predecessor, Richard Descoings, was found dead in a New York hotel room in 2012 at the age of 53.

Many of France’s diplomats, officials and politicians, including President Emmanuel Macron, are university graduates.