The Institut d’Estudis Catalans (IEC) has announced a complete change of leadership for its Catalan Sociology Association (ACS) following an internal investigation that uncovered serious violations within the organization. The decision comes amid an ongoing investigation by the Barcelona prosecutor’s office into the CREA group, linked to Ramón Flecha, on suspicion of sexual harassment and abuse of authority.
The IEC confirmed that it has temporarily suspended the current ACS board, which was in office from 2017 to 2025, and appointed an interim management team. The new team is tasked with preparing updated bylaws and organizing elections. At the same time, the IEC revoked the Catalunya de Sociología award from Ramón Flecha, which was given to him in 2019, after it was discovered that the award process had been altered under CREA’s influence.
Internal conflict and investigation
An internal IEC audit revealed that under the leadership of CREA members, ACS experienced a “persistent deterioration in internal operations” as well as instances of “covert pressure” on former chairwoman Teresa Sordé. The ACS leadership has also been accused of prioritizing CREA’s interests over those of the association itself and the IEC. It was specifically noted that three out of five nominations for the award since 2019 were proposed at CREA’s initiative, and the content of the ACS anniversary documentary was altered to favor this group’s ideology.
The IEC also pointed to attempts by the ACS leadership to suppress criticism and restrict access to information. For example, chairperson Olga Serradell refused to remove an interview with Ramón Flecha and Marta Soler from the association’s website, despite a direct order from the IEC. In December last year, eight research groups from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Oficina Española de Integridad Científica association filed a complaint with the ACS regarding close ties between CREA and the association’s leadership. The IEC called the ACS’s response to this complaint ‘completely inadequate.’
Consequences for participants
Previously, the IEC already revoked Marta Soler’s professional recognition under the Serra Hunter program; she is director of CREA and former ACS chair. Marta Soler also heads the sociology department at the Universitat de Barcelona. The situation is unfolding against the backdrop of a Barcelona prosecutor’s investigation, launched after an internal review at the Universitat de Barcelona following complaints from 14 CREA participants. The complaints detailed cases of sexual harassment, abuse of power, and psychological violence by Ramón Flecha, along with unequal relationships between management and subordinates.
The complainants include students, graduate students, and staff who noted the recurring nature of the behavior and the presence of hierarchical pressure. Similar complaints in 2004 and 2016 were previously closed by the courts without consequences for the accused.
