On August 28, a Polish F‑16 pilot crashed in Krakow, and Professor Marek Migalski’s online comments sparked controversy, leading the University of Silesia to impose a disciplinary warning.
Scandalous remarks by Professor Migalski
On the night of August 28 a Polish F‑16 fighter planned by the Krakow pilot crashed, killing him on the spot. In the days that followed the incident many online comments were posted; among them the university lecturer Professor Marek Migalski published a message on X in which he wrote: “Everyone is sending condolences and expressing sorrow, but the pilot who died made some unimaginable mistake. His death is his own affair, yet he wrecked an aircraft worth tens of thousands of euros that we all had agreed upon.” He went on to call the Kraków pilot a “failure” and a “criminal,” saying that the man “merits post‑humous demotion” and questioning the propriety of paying the pilot’s military pension to his family.
University disciplinary response
According to information from Jacek Szymik‑Kozaczko, spokesperson for the University of Silesia in Katowice, the university has already spoken twice with Professor Migalski: once with the rector and once with the Ombudsman for Academic Rights and Values. As a result, Professor Migalski was given a disciplinary warning, which he may appeal against. The university said that it had taken these steps in accordance with its internal regulations.
Ethical condemnation and further proceedings
On September 3, Professor Dr. Ryszard Koziołek, head of the university’s Ethics Committee, publicly condemned the professor’s post, stating that “the post violated the ethics and truthfulness expected from an academic and teacher of young people.” He said the matter was now referred to the Ombudsman for Academic Rights and Values, Prof. Jack Górecki, for further action.
