The University of Bayreuth's handling of the matter was sharply criticized by its former vice-president and law professor Walter Schmitt-Glaeser, who, while agreeing that revoking the doctoral degree was justified, described the additional measures taken by the institution as an attempt at character assassination ("Treibjagd"). As any affiliation of Guttenberg to the university was severed by the withdrawal of his title, the university therefore lacked legal standing for any further investigation, Schmitt-Glaeser argued. The leaking of information from the commission's confidential meetings to the press – according to Schmitt-Glaeser most-likely done by its members – he called “outrageous” and “more than embarrassing”.
