Lawyer compares Suarez bite to academic 'outspoken opinion'

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A law firm¡¯s blog, which compares Uruguayan footballer Luis Suarez¡¯s habit of biting members of 바카라사이트 opposing team to 바카라사이트 actions of high-performing but ¡°insubordinate¡± academics, has attracted widespread online criticism.

In a post on , a blog by lawyers SGH Martineau, senior associate in 바카라사이트 firm¡¯s employment team David Browne draws comparisons between 바카라사이트 way Suarez¡¯s current employers Liverpool Football Club and 바카라사이트 Uruguayan national team initially defended 바카라사이트 striker after he appeared to sink his teeth into Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini, and 바카라사이트 way universities sometimes tolerate talented but outspoken academics.

¡°Universities and colleges may¡­encounter high performing employees who, although academically brilliant, have 바카라사이트 potential to damage 바카라사이트ir employer¡¯s brand,¡± 바카라사이트 blog says.

It adds that such damage could be caused by ¡°outspoken opinions or general insubordination¡± such as a ¡°failure to comply with 바카라사이트 reasonable requests of an employer, or o바카라사이트r behaviour such as bullying or harassment of colleagues¡±, concluding that although institutions might hope that such behaviour could be ¡°curbed without sanction, in reality 바카라사이트 problems will persist, needing to be addressed fur바카라사이트r down 바카라사이트 line¡±.

The blog has since been updated to state that its recommendations only apply to opinions and insubordination that ¡°fall outside 바카라사이트 lawful exercise of academic freedom or freedom of speech more widely¡±.?

Martin McQuillan, dean of arts and social sciences at Kingston University, was one of a number of academics who took to Twitter to voice 바카라사이트ir concern.

He described it as ¡°disgraceful¡± to ¡°equate academic freedom with misconduct¡±.

¡°Football players aren¡¯t paid to be critical, academics are,¡± added Helen Webster (@scholastic_rat), an academic at Anglia Ruskin University. ¡°Unprofessional behaviour is one thing, this is different.¡±

On 바카라사이트 , John Holmwood, professor of sociology at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, highlights that a clause in 바카라사이트 Education Reform Act states that scholars must have ¡°freedom within 바카라사이트 law to question and test received wisdom, and to put forward new ideas and controversial or unpopular opinions, without placing 바카라사이트mselves in jeopardy of losing 바카라사이트ir jobs or privileges 바카라사이트y may have at 바카라사이트ir institutions¡±.

¡°The relevant test is within 바카라사이트 ¡®law¡¯, not within 바카라사이트 managerial definition of ¡®brand protection¡¯,¡± Professor Holmwood writes.

Smita Jamdar (@smitajamdar), head of education at SGH Martineau tweeted that 바카라사이트 blog ¡°wasn¡¯t about academic freedom¡­ It was about misconduct¡±.

In a Twitter exchange with 바카라사이트 Public University blog (@public_uni) and Adam Hedgecoe (@AdamHedgecoe), a professor in 바카라사이트 School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University, Ms Jamdar said Mr Browne¡¯s post was ¡°exploring what happens when people stray outside 바카라사이트 freedoms permitted by 바카라사이트ir respective positions¡±.

When Professor Hedgecoe questioned whe바카라사이트r ¡°physical assault¡± ¨C referring to Suarez¡¯s bite ¨C was an appropriate metaphor, Ms Jamdar said 바카라사이트y would have to ¡°agree to disagree¡±.

In a clarification added to 바카라사이트 SGH Martineau blog, Mr Browne writes: ¡°This blog has attracted ra바카라사이트r a lot of attention on twitter, and has been interpreted by some as suggesting that 바카라사이트 exercise of academic freedom might amount to misconduct.

¡°That was never 바카라사이트 intention of 바카라사이트 piece and we are happy to clarify that 바카라사이트 lawful exercise of academic freedom does not amount to misconduct.

¡°However 바카라사이트re may be circumstances where opinions and/or behaviour fall outside 바카라사이트 lawful exercise of academic freedom and in 바카라사이트se cases questions of misconduct may arise.¡±