Student hiring row causes legal debate

A law firm in Beijing refused to hire graduates from Sichuan University on Sunday as the company disagreed with the university's treatment of a female student in a false accusation case, triggering heated discussion and controversy.

The firm, called Yanqing Lawyers, released a statement saying that based on the university's handling of a student surnamed Zhang in the false accusation case, it was no longer convinced of the quality of the university's graduates, and would not hire them.

Earlier this month, the student claimed that she had been "creepshot" by a man on a subway train, even though in a video she posted on social media, the man proved his innocence by showing his photo album to her. 

The incident sparked anger among netizens, accusing her of defamation and libel. The university then contacted the police and communicated with Zhang to verify the situation.

After an investigation, it was determined Zhang's deeds were inappropriate and violated the university's code of conduct and regulations. 

Zhang apologized for her misconduct and reached a settlement with the man through mediation. Sichuan University finally decided to place her on probation and observation as punishment.

On Sunday, the head of Yanqing Lawyers told the media that Sichuan University should respond to other issues raised by netizens regarding Zhang, such as allegations of her bullying others by her high school classmates and her qualifications for post-graduate studies.

While some netizens supported the firm, others said its actions were simply an attention-grabbing publicity stunt. 

The video about the statement garnered thousands of likes and shares, with nearly 3,000 comments on Sunday. However, most of the other videos released by the law firm have received only a handful of likes. 

On Monday, the Beijing Haidian District Lawyers' Association responded by saying that it had summoned the law firm for a discussion, and that the firm had deleted the controversial statement. 

Lawyers from other firms said that the statement was clearly an act of employment discrimination, and that the action violated the law. They added that the firm may have infringed Sichuan University's reputation and honor, according to a report by Beijing News. 

Lawyers say that while school is not specifically listed as a discriminatory factor in the labor law, specifically refusing to hire students from Sichuan University deprives them of their equal employment rights, undermines social fairness, and extends beyond the scope of a law firm's right to hire. 

Zheng Shuishan, a lawyer based in Henan province, told the Beijing News that the law firm's statement may violate the Civil Code of China and infringe Sichuan University's rights to reputation and honor, and the university could bring a lawsuit to protect its legal rights.