### TFJA Prohibits UNAM from Sanctioning Minister Yasmín Over Alleged Thesis Plagiarism
The Sixth Metropolitan Regional Chamber of the Federal Tribunal of Administrative Justice (TFJA) has ruled that the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) cannot sanction Yasmín Esquivel Mossa, a minister of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJN), for the alleged plagiarism of her undergraduate thesis. The accusation is that Esquivel’s thesis, presented in 1987, was nearly identical to that defended by student Edgar Ulises Báez a year earlier, in 1986.
The decision stems from a January 10, 2023 opinion by Alfredo Sánchez Castañeda, the then-General Counsel of UNAM, which concluded that the university lacks the legal framework to explicitly withdraw, cancel, or revoke academic degrees it confers. Sánchez Castañeda further argued that UNAM does not have jurisdiction over its alumni and that the most the institution could do was to “condemn” the alleged plagiarism.
On August 7, 2024, the Mexican daily Reforma reported that Esquivel Mossa had filed a lawsuit with the TFJA, demanding that Sánchez Castañeda’s opinion be recognized as an authoritative, binding administrative act for UNAM.
“Recognition of the subjective right derived from document AGEN/09/2023 issued by the General Counsel of UNAM has been declared, and the respondents are ordered to comply with the corresponding obligations derived from the document and to restore the claimant (Esquivel) to the enjoyment of her rights,” the TFJA’s Sixth Metropolitan Regional Chamber ruled.
Additionally, the tribunal nullified actions taken by UNAM following the January 10, 2023 document, including a call to the University Ethics Committee (CUÉTICA) to investigate the alleged plagiarism.
The tribunal’s conclusions regarding Esquivel Mossa’s plagiarism case were not published due to a civil lawsuit she filed with the Superior Court of Justice of Mexico City (TSJCDMX). Since April 2023, José Manuel Salazar Uribe, head of the Sixtieth Civil Court, granted a “precautionary measure” to silence UNAM.
Despite this, the TFJA’s ruling, which was notified on March 7, 2024, but became public on August 7, 2024, is not final. UNAM filed for a fiscal review on June 19, 2024, in the Fifth Collegiate Court in Administrative Matters. Lawyers for Esquivel Mossa presented arguments supporting the initial ruling on July 11, 2024.
### Additional News on the Topic
According to further reports, the controversy surrounding Minister Yasmín Esquivel’s alleged plagiarism has caused public debate about academic integrity and the enforcement of ethical standards within Mexican educational institutions. Critics argue that UNAM’s inability to revoke degrees sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the value of its academic credentials. Legislators and academic experts are calling for reforms to grant universities more authority to address academic misconduct effectively.
**For more details on this developing story, visit TJGringo.com and stay updated on the latest news.**
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