The background is a whistleblowing case from a PhD research scholar against Hem. NHH's board dealt with the case and, in a board meeting on 30 January 2024, decided to adopt disciplinary action against Hem. The decision entailed relocation from the fixed-term position as Head of Department to the permanent position of professor until the fixed-term period expires on 31 July 2025.

Hem appealed the board's decision. In a board meeting on 5 March, the NHH board upheld the decision, and then forwarded the case to the Ministry of Education and Research for processing of the complaint.

On 2 July, the Ministry of Education and Research decided not to accept Hem's complaint and thus confirmed the NHH board's decision on disciplinary action. The ministry's decision cannot be appealed. To test the validity of NHH's and the ministry's decision, legal action has to be taken. Hem has decided to file a lawsuit against the State and the Ministry of Education and Research.

The case is now pending further proceedings in the Oslo District Court, with a scheduled main hearing in mid-March 2025.