On 25 February, a post on X went viral. Its anonymous author asserted that he was expelled from university due to ‘transphobic’ behaviour towards the class president. To substantiate his claims, the author included an excerpt from a university letter and provided his account of the events.

In an extensive online discussion, a user with the username @RealXero02 shared his experiences in the social media chat room of Gdansk Medical University (GUM or GUMed). Despite the expectations set by a transgender individual in their group, @RealXero02 consistently declined to use their preferred name - Gabi. The author of the post added: "I remained impervious to social pressure and abstained from participating in this spectacle. I addressed Gabi as a man and, despite my personal reservations about transgender individuals, aimed to maintain a respectful demeanour."

Despite these "heroic" efforts, the student was removed from the group chat. He recounted what happened next: "The following day, the lecturer called me in and demanded that I apologise (…). I told her that I had nothing to apologise for. The lecturer then took the matter to the dean's office. The following week, I was invited to the dean's office."

The individual behind the original post concluded their account with a plea: "Should anyone wish to offer voluntary support, I have shared a link to buycoffee.to. However, every repost and like already contributes significantly, as it is crucial to raise awareness about the events unfolding within Polish universities." In the profile description on the buycoffee.to platform, he also wrote: "My name is Kamil, and I am 20 years old. Unjustly accused of ‘transphobia’ by my university, I find myself in need of assistance. Perhaps in the future, I will explore opportunities abroad or delve into streaming, but for that, I require improved equipment.".

Kamil’s account stirred a divisive response among commentators on X. Some urged the ‘former student’ to seek legal counsel and challenge the university’s decision. In contrast, others believed that the punishment for transphobia was justified. User @fiat_money wrote: "You are harassing someone who has done nothing to you. That’s shameful." Notably, this comment turned out to be the most liked one.

Following the viral reception of his initial post on X, a ‘former student’ from GUMed has now acknowledged the falsehood it contained. His current assertion is that the university reprimanded him and imposed a brief suspension, leading him to withdraw from the institution voluntarily. It appears that @RealXero02 quickly realised that the truth behind the "expulsion" could easily be verified.

He wrote: "I dropped out of college on my own because I was sick of it all; practically all the teachers and the whole group were negative towards me, so I didn't see the point in continuing my studies. All in all, I regret a bit because I could have written the truth straight away. I was also a bit ashamed." An appropriate Community Note already accompanies his first post.

The Medical University of Gdansk has promptly addressed the student’s disclosures through a statement on X. According to the university, a disciplinary process was set in motion against the student due to behaviour inconsistent with the prevailing standards at GUMed. Importantly, this individual retains their student status1.

As for the letter's authenticity showcased in the original post, the Gdansk Medical University has been requested to verify its legitimacy.