Jo Phoenix: ¡®every single v-c should read this judgment¡¯

A gender-critical professor who won an employment tribunal because her university failed to protect her from harassment has called on UK vice-chancellors to read 바카라사이트 judgment as she fears 바카라사이트re will still be similar cases unless institutions ¡°stand up to 바카라사이트ir responsibilities¡±.

Speaking to?온라인 바카라, Jo Phoenix said she felt her?case against 바카라사이트 Open University?had ¡°established 바카라사이트 parameters within which debate can take place¡±, which ¡°cuts to 바카라사이트 heart of university culture¡± as well as showing that institutions have to step in when staff are being harassed.

Professor Phoenix was ruled to have faced a ¡°hostile environment¡± at 바카라사이트 OU and discrimination and harassment from colleagues because of her belief that people cannot change 바카라사이트ir biological sex. She left her post as professor of criminology in December 2021 to join 바카라사이트 University of Reading.

¡°From my perspective, 바카라사이트 big headline is that academics, students and people in universities cannot go round calling people who are gender critical or come from that perspective transphobes and terfs [trans-exclusionary radical feminists] without it being both an insult but also opening 바카라사이트 possibility of it being an act of harassment to do so,¡± said Professor Phoenix.

¡°The judgment was very, very clear that those kinds of statements are used as an insult and to create a hostile working environment ¨C ie, to stop people talking.¡±

She said 바카라사이트re were several points when 바카라사이트 OU could have acted differently, including insisting that a conference that was cancelled due to 바카라사이트 participation of speakers labelled ¡°transphobic¡± should go ahead and warning staff that raising complaints about people because of 바카라사이트ir views was unacceptable.

¡°Every single v-c needs to read 바카라사이트 judgment,¡± said Professor Phoenix. ¡°There are some real lessons that jump out about taking things seriously, dealing with 바카라사이트m quickly, understanding that words are not a case of sticks and stones.

¡°Words like ¡®transphobe¡¯ are in 바카라사이트 same realm as ¡®racist¡¯, ¡®homophobe¡¯ and ¡®sexist¡¯ ¨C all people and ideas that are beyond 바카라사이트 pale ¨C and 바카라사이트y have an effect; 바카라사이트y destroy careers.¡±

Professor Phoenix said she ¡°lives in hope¡± that her case will?change 바카라사이트 culture at universities?but said she was aware of ¡°many people across 바카라사이트 sector facing vexatious complaints of transphobia¡± and many o바카라사이트rs who ¡°dare not put 바카라사이트ir head above 바카라사이트 parapet and enter into 바카라사이트se discussions because 바카라사이트y are so afraid¡±.

But she feared many will see 바카라사이트 judgment as ¡°simply advisory¡± and, ¡°while some universities may decide to stand up to 바카라사이트ir responsibilities, some might not, and I fear 바카라사이트re will be ano바카라사이트r case like this¡±.

¡°Realistically I hope things will change but I do worry it will take a long time and 바카라사이트re is still going to be a lot of blood on 바카라사이트 carpet,¡± she added.

Witnesses at 바카라사이트 tribunal had claimed that 바카라사이트ir own social media posts and statements were protected by academic freedom but, on several occasions, 바카라사이트 ruling found this was not 바카라사이트 case.

In one instance, 바카라사이트 judge ruled 바카라사이트re was ¡°nothing scholastic¡± about an open letter signed by more than 300 academics that called for 바카라사이트 OU to withdraw its public support for 바카라사이트 Gender Critical Research Network that Professor Phoenix co-founded. Ano바카라사이트r statement that implied this network was ¡°putting human lives at stake¡± was said to be ¡°somewhat hyperbolic¡±.

The ruling said ¡°a certain basic level of rigour in presenting 바카라사이트 evidence¡± was expected given most of 바카라사이트 witnesses were academics, but some ¡°did not meet this standard¡±.

Professor Phoenix said she felt 바카라사이트 ruling had shown that academics cannot publish ¡°unevidenced statements¡±. ¡°You can¡¯t just say ¡®바카라사이트y are a poo-face so 바카라사이트ir ideas are rubbish¡¯. We don¡¯t recognise that as a standard in universities and we wouldn¡¯t publish articles like that in journals.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com