Government · Leipzig, Düsseldorf, and Münster
Federal court removes NRW judicial official over racist chats, demotes colleague
Germany's Federal Administrative Court ruled on 22 October 2026 that a former North Rhine-Westphalia judicial official must leave civil service over racist chat posts. A colleague in the same case was demoted by one rank and keeps his post.
In brief
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig ruled on 22 October 2026 that a former judicial official from North Rhine-Westphalia must leave civil service for sharing racist content in chats with other judicial officials.
A second official was downgraded by one rank and remains in his post. His proceedings have not yet been concluded in final form.
The first man was convicted with final effect of incitement of hatred and of using symbols of unconstitutional organisations, and he was fined.
The court held that an inner hostile attitude must lie behind statements for a breach of constitutional loyalty. It found no such attitude in either man, but the first man still loses his status.
The ruling
The Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig ruled on 22 October 2026 in a disciplinary case brought by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. A former judicial official from the state must leave civil service because he shared racist content in chats with other judicial officials. The judges held that he had breached his duty to show the respect and trust his profession requires. A second official was downgraded by one rank but remains in his post, and his proceedings have not yet been concluded in final form.
The chat group
The closed chat group of court bailiffs became known in 2020. Members shared racist posts, antisemitic jokes and content with a far-right or incitement character. One image showed a cyclist aiming a weapon at a fleeing child with dark skin. The group's founder and administrator was one of the two officials, while the other man repeatedly posted material with criminal relevance.
The first man's case
One of the officials has been convicted with final effect of incitement of hatred and of using symbols of unconstitutional organisations, and he was fined. The state then filed a disciplinary action to remove him from civil service. The Administrative Court in Düsseldorf upheld that action, and the Higher Administrative Court in Münster confirmed the decision. His appeal then failed before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig.
Where the court drew the line
The central question was when an official's statements amount to a breach of the duty of constitutional loyalty. The court said an inner hostile attitude must lie behind such statements, and that pressure from a group alone is not enough. No such inner attitude was established for either man. Even so, the first man loses his status because of the seriousness of his conduct and his final conviction. The Münster court had found that the posts created the appearance of unconstitutional leanings, although it could not prove a deeply rooted hostile attitude.
Arguments before the court
The state argued that, given the gravity of the acts, only removal from civil service was an option. Its trial representative put it this way:
“That is so appalling that one asks how such officials can still be employed.”
Defence lawyers asked for a milder disciplinary measure than dismissal. Civil service law allows fines, reduced pay and demotion as sanctions. Earlier, in June, the same court decided a case involving a firefighter and held that the subjective attitude of an official matters. In the case of the second man, the court considered that he is working on his misconduct and that his acts were less grave, so it did not assume a definitive loss of trust.