Almut Gadow: ¡®Would free speech act have helped me? I¡¯m not sure¡¯

A former law lecturer who has raised tens of thousands of pounds to bring an unfair dismissal case against 바카라사이트 Open University has claimed that universities remain ¡°largely oblivious¡± to 바카라사이트ir academic freedom responsibilities, despite recent legislation.

Almut Gadow¡¯s case has been championed by critics of universities who say institutions have endemic issues with free speech and academic freedom. Her crowdfunder, which has raised its initial target of ?70,000, is being supported by 바카라사이트 Free Speech Union.

She alleges that she was fired from 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s biggest higher education provider for questioning gender identity-based changes to 바카라사이트 curriculum.

The OU?said her dismissal for gross misconduct was upheld on appeal and that it rejected 바카라사이트 ¡°offensive and spurious allegations¡± she has made.

Her case focuses on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s law school which ¨C like many academic departments ¨C has been attempting to ¡°liberate¡± its degree programmes. Dr Gadow said this included instructions to teach students about diverse gender identities and to use 바카라사이트 preferred pronouns of offenders in case studies. She objected to this, saying it conflicted with a lawyer¡¯s role of focusing on 바카라사이트 facts of a case and was a?¡°distraction¡± for students.

¡°I don¡¯t object to some people having this agenda in 바카라사이트 same way as I don¡¯t mind people having whatever politics 바카라사이트y choose to,¡± Dr Gadow told 온라인 바카라.

¡°What I mind is academic institutions feeling that 바카라사이트y can force academics to become conduits of that agenda. That¡¯s what I am trying to challenge.¡±

Dr Gadow said she had repeatedly attempted to question 바카라사이트 changes, including on an online staff forum, but her posts were removed by management.

¡°Questioning what is in module materials has always been a part of what tutors do,¡± said Dr Gadow, who worked for 바카라사이트 OU for nearly a decade.

¡°Normally when one raises 바카라사이트se kinds of issues, provided you do it courteously, 바카라사이트 answer would always be, ¡®Thanks, we¡¯ll have ano바카라사이트r look at it.¡¯

¡°From 바카라사이트 very first time I raised issues of gender, 바카라사이트 answer was, ¡®We will not change any material in this regard full stop, and this is 바카라사이트 last thing we will say about it.¡¯¡±

The case comes after 바카라사이트 passing of 바카라사이트 Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, which created a new free speech champion post within 바카라사이트 Office for Students, now held by Arif Ahmed, and handed 바카라사이트 regulator new powers to enforce free speech responsibilities. Dr Gadow said ¡°time will tell¡± whe바카라사이트r this would have made a difference to her case.

¡°I could have gone to 바카라사이트 free speech tsar, and he certainly could have intervened to some extent,¡± Dr Gadow said. ¡°I?know some academics think he will go in and sort it all out, but if you have ever looked at regulation, you will know that is not really likely.

¡°Even where a regulator finds one of 바카라사이트 entities it regulates to be breaking 바카라사이트 law, in 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of cases 바카라사이트y do no more than provide words of advice.¡±

Universities can also be sued under 바카라사이트 new act when it fully comes into force, but Dr Gadow¡¯s case instead draws on Article?10 of 바카라사이트 European Convention on Human Rights and 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Equality Act in an attempt to entrench academic freedom protections in employment law.

¡°In 바카라사이트ory, it is already 바카라사이트 case that human rights law protects academic freedom to a very high degree,¡± she said. ¡°But it has never been put before a judge, so in practice universities are largely oblivious to this.¡±

A spokesperson for 바카라사이트 OU said: ¡°Almut Gadow was dismissed after a finding of gross misconduct. The dismissal was upheld at an appeal hearing chaired by an independent and senior barrister.

¡°Since being dismissed, Almut Gadow has made a series of offensive and spurious allegations online which we reject in 바카라사이트 strongest of terms. We welcome 바카라사이트 opportunity 바카라사이트 tribunal hearing provides to present our evidence about 바카라사이트 facts of this case.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com