Former PH Lower Austria rector and Education Ministry negotiate settlement over dismissal

Under the proposed terms, the ministry would issue a public statement clarifying that "Anstelle der Abberufung vom 2. Oktober 2025 wird das Dienstverhältnis zum 30. September 2026 aufgelöst." In place of the dismissal of 2 October 2025, the employment relationship would be terminated as of 30 September 2026. The statement would also thank Rauscher for his decades of service to Austria's education system. According to Konlechner, the key point for his client is the ministry's acknowledgement that the original removal did not constitute a dismissal for serious breach of duty: "Die Erklärung des Ministeriums reicht uns, damit ist nämlich klargestellt, dass es keine Abberufung wegen schwerwiegender Pflichtverletzung gegeben hat."

Allegations of 'dummy' teaching events

Rauscher had been the founding rector of the PH NÖ since 2006, leading the institution based in Baden for nearly 19 years. He was appointed until 2027 but was removed early by the ministry in autumn 2025. The ministry justified the step at the time by alleging that "dummy" teaching events — administrative course entries with no real teaching content — had been created in the university's PH-Online management system under his responsibility. Staff had reportedly been paid through these placeholder entries for performing other tasks. The ministry's original press release stated that Rauscher had been removed because of "schwerwiegender dienst- und strafrechtlich relevanter Vorwürfen" — serious allegations under both employment and criminal law — and because of "schwerer Pflichtverletzung," a grave breach of duty.

Criminal investigations into the matter were dropped at the end of 2025, removing the legal threat that had originally accompanied the allegations. The civil case, however, continued. Rauscher's main aim, his lawyer said, is the restoration of his good reputation, which he argues was damaged by the sudden dismissal and, even more, by the ministry's public communication at the time. The settlement is intended to provide that reputational repair without a full court ruling.

Settlement terms and timeline

The proposed agreement is not yet legally effective. Both Rauscher and the ministry have until 26 August to decide whether to accept the deal. Konlechner confirmed the existence of the settlement, referencing a report in the Thursday edition of the Kurier newspaper. Until both sides formally sign off, the matter remains open. "Die Erklärung des Ministeriums reicht uns, damit ist nämlich klargestellt, dass es keine Abberufung wegen schwerwiegender Pflichtverletzung gegeben hat," Konlechner repeated, framing the declaration itself as the central element of the package.

One practical question remains unresolved. Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr still has to decide who will lead the PH Lower Austria going forward. Since October 2025, the rectorate has been managed by Rauscher's two vice-rectors. The proposed end date of 30 September 2026 for Rauscher's employment relationship would coincide with the start of the new academic year, leaving several months for a successor to be appointed. A ministry spokesperson did not immediately comment on a timeline for that decision.

What remains to be decided

The settlement also avoids a public labour-court hearing that would have revisited the ministry's allegations in detail. For Rauscher, that procedural step would have meant further public scrutiny of the dummy-course allegations, even though prosecutors had already closed the criminal file. For the ministry, a negotiated outcome limits the political fallout at a time when it is restructuring parts of Austria's teacher-training system. Both sides have an interest in closing the file before the new academic term begins.

The PH NÖ is one of Austria's 14 public teacher-training institutions and trains the bulk of new primary and secondary school teachers for Lower Austria. Rauscher, a long-standing figure in Austrian education policy, had helped shape the institution since its founding two decades ago. Whether he returns to the rectorate under the settlement's terms is not part of the proposed agreement; the deal concerns only the formal end of his employment relationship and the wording of the ministry's public statement.