Court Orders Education Minister Barbara Nowacka to Apologize for Remarks About HiT Textbook

The District Court in Warsaw ruled in favor of Prof. Wojciech Roszkowski in a case concerning the protection of personal rights against Education Minister Barbara Nowacka. The judge ordered the minister to issue a public apology for stating that the textbook for the subject History and the Present authored by the professor contains lies. Nowacka's statement was made during a press conference at the Ministry of Education and Science when she announced the withdrawal of the controversial textbook from school use. The court found that such wording, spoken from an official position, violated the good name, scientific, and professional authority of Prof. Roszkowski, who is a recognized historian and former MEP. Prof. Wojciech Roszkowski's textbook for the subject History and the Present was introduced to schools in 2022 under the United Right government. Its content, particularly concerning recent Polish history and assessments of contemporary social phenomena, has from the outset sparked controversy and criticism from parts of the academic community and political opposition. After winning the elections in 2023, the new government of Donald Tusk announced a reform of teaching this subject and the withdrawal of the textbook. In response to the ruling, the press spokesperson for the Ministry of Education and Science informed that the ministry disagrees with the verdict and is preparing an appeal. This means the ruling is not yet final, and the obligation for Minister Nowacka to publish an apology is not currently enforceable. The case will now go to the District Court in Warsaw, which will consider the appeal. Prof. Roszkowski, in his statements, emphasized that the lawsuit aimed to defend scientific integrity and good name, not the textbook itself. Meanwhile, the ministry's side had previously argued that the minister's statement was an opinion in a public debate about the quality of educational materials and is protected by freedom of speech. The legal dispute fits into a broader political conflict over the shape of Polish education, which intensified after the change of government. Roszkowski's textbook has become a symbol of divisions. The first-instance court decision is a significant episode in this battle, though its final outcome depends on the resolution of the appeal. Media have featured comments from lawyers who pointed out the delicate boundary between criticism permissible in public debate and violation of personal rights, especially when the critic is a high-ranking state official.