French Professor Florent Montaclair Accused of Fabricating Philology Award

In June 2016, 46-year-old literature professor Florent Montaclair of Marie and Louis Pasteur University received the “Gold Medal of Philology” at a National Assembly ceremony attended by Nobel laureates and former ministers. Investigators later found that the International Society of Philology and its partner University of Philology and Education did not exist, and that Montaclair had bought the gold medal in Paris for €250.

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Montaclair created the International Society of Philology and the University of Philology and Education as web-only entities; the university’s listed address traced to a jewellery shop in Lewes, Delaware. In 2016 he announced Noam Chomsky as a laureate, and in 2018 named Romanian historian Eugen Simion, prompting Romanian journalists to expose the hoax.

Daily Caller

Montaclair was 46 at the ceremony, which drew about 200 attendees. The medal cost €250; the fabricated doctorate was used in 2018 for promotion.

The Guardian

2015: local press noted Montaclair’s ambition. 2016: award ceremony with 200 attendees. 2018: promotion to associate professor based on a fabricated doctorate. 2025: police searched his home; 2026: prosecutor opened a fraud investigation.

The Guardian

Prosecutor Paul-Édouard Lallois called the case a “tissue of lies” and said fraud arises when a fabricated award is used for promotion. He noted that anyone can create a medal, but legal consequences follow if it is presented to an employer. Montaclair’s lawyer Jean-Baptiste Euvrard argues the act is not criminal.

The Guardian

Romanian journalists label the scheme “intellectual fraud”. The prosecutor says the fake doctorate enabled Montaclair’s promotion, while Montaclair claims the medal was a harmless distinction; Noam Chomsky says he has no recollection of receiving it. Lallois also asserted that because no genuine medal exists, the item cannot be a forgery, a view not universally accepted.

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• “It was all a gigantic hoax. It could be made into a film or television series,” — Paul-Édouard Lallois, public prosecutor

The Guardian

• “The International Society of Philology is very proud that you have accepted to be the laureate of this Gold Medal of Philology,” — Florent Montaclair

Daily Caller

• “Chomsky told Romanian journalists in 2019 he had “[n]o recollection” of receiving the medal.” — Noam Chomsky, linguist

Daily Caller

The scandal reveals gaps in academic credential checks and sparks debate over whether a non-existent award can be legally deemed a forgery, potentially prompting tighter university oversight.

The Guardian

If convicted, Montaclair faces up to five years in prison and a university suspension. The case highlights gaps in academic credential verification and may prompt reforms to prevent similar fraud.

The Guardian