Hoax? French professor probed for inventing Nobel-style prize

A French literature professor is under probe for allegedly orchestrating a complex international hoax by inventing a prestigious academic award. Florent Montaclair received the 2016 Gold Medal of Philology at a glittering ceremony attended by MPs and scientists. However, prosecutor Paul-Édouard Lallois claims the International Soc­ie­ty of Philology and its affiliated American university we­re entirely fake. Montaclair allegedly bought the medal for €250 to present to himself, The Guardian reported.

The deception grew as Montaclair later awarded the prize to world-renowned intellectuals, including Noam Chomsky. The hoax began to unravel in 2018 when Romanian journalists investigated the prize's origins and found the society’s websites were hosted in France. Detectives are focusing on whether Montaclair used the fake medal and a forged doctorate to obtain a promotion to associate professor at Marie and Louis Pasteur University.

When police arrived at his home in Feb with a search warrant, Montaclair admitted to creating the websites but denies any criminality.