A porn star turned professor has won an unfair dismissal case against a university that sacked him because it allegedly became squeamish about his previous career.
An Italian court ruled Rome’s Sapienza University should never have sacked Ruggero Freddi, 46, and ordered it to pay him damages.
“I was forced to sue. And I won,” he told Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper.
When working in adult entertainment, Freddi was known as Carlo Masi.
He was employed by Colt, one of the most prolific U.S. gay porn studios, and starred in classics such as Big ‘N’ Plenty and Man Country.
It was during this time he met his now husband Gustavo Alejandro Leguizamon who is also a former porn star.
Freddi retired from porn in 2009, aged 34, and later returned to Italy.
He earned a bachelor of science degree in maths followed by a master’s in the same subject.
In 2020, Freddi completed a Ph.D. in mathematical models for engineering, electromagnetism, and nanosciences.
He became a professor at the faculty of engineering at Sapienza in 2017.
Then he took on a teaching position and worked 60 of the 100 allotted hours before, Freddi said, he was let go with no explanation and without adequate pay for the work completed.
His dismissal came after his previous career became known.
Freddi had posted a video of himself flexing his muscles on Facebook and someone recognized him and contacted a local reporter.
“Some students reported the photo in a few sites and from there my former life as a porn actor emerged,” he said.
“To be honest, it wasn’t exactly a secret.”
However, Dr. Freddi told La Repubblica that he no longer felt welcomed at his workplace.
“It’s just my opinion. But I felt like there were prejudices around me, which were beyond my skills as a teacher and as a data analyst, the role I occupy today,” he said.
He said the extra-curricular activities he had proposed were canceled for no reason.
