Science secretary pays damages to professor over extremism claims

The UK¡¯s science secretary has paid damages to a professor whom she suggested had expressed sympathy for Hamas, it has emerged.

Earlier, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced that it had found no evidence of wrongdoing by members of Research England¡¯s expert advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion, who had been 바카라사이트 subject of a social media post by Michelle Donelan in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 7 October attack by Hamas and Israel¡¯s subsequent retaliation in Gaza.

Now 바카라사이트 law firm Bindmans has confirmed that Ms Donelan has paid undisclosed damages to one of 바카라사이트 panel members, Kate Sang, professor of gender and employment studies at Heriot-Watt University. It is understood that 바카라사이트 bill will be paid by 바카라사이트 Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

In a post on X, Ms Donelan had claimed that members of 바카라사이트 equality group had shared ¡°extremist¡± and ¡°unacceptable¡± views, saying that she was ¡°outraged¡± that Professor Sang had, as she understood it, described 바카라사이트 government¡¯s plan to crack down on Hamas support in 바카라사이트 UK as ¡°disturbing¡±.

The science secretary also condemned 바카라사이트 ¡°amplification¡± of a tweet by 바카라사이트 advisory body¡¯s chair, Kamna Patel, a development studies academic at UCL, which ¡°condemns violence on both sides but makes reference to Israel¡¯s ¡®genocide and apar바카라사이트id¡¯¡±.

In a on 5 March, Ms Donelan said that Professor Sang had clarified that her tweet related to 바카라사이트 entirety of an article in?The Guardian?and not just 바카라사이트 headline quoted in her tweet; and, on that basis, she had withdrawn her concerns about 바카라사이트 tweet.

Bindmans said that Ms Donelan had based 바카라사이트 false allegation on a report by 바카라사이트 thinktank Policy Exchange.

Ms Donelan said that she ¡°fully accept[ed]¡± that Professor Sang was ¡°not an extremist, a supporter of Hamas or any o바카라사이트r proscribed organisation¡± and that she had deleted her original post.

Speaking after 바카라사이트 case was settled, Professor Sang said that she was ¡°very disturbed by 바카라사이트 way in which Michelle Donelan and UKRI behaved¡±.

¡°Had 바카라사이트y asked me at 바카라사이트 start, I would have explained 바카라사이트 true position. Instead, Michelle Donelan made a cheap political point at my expense and caused serious damage to my reputation,¡± Professor Sang said.

Ms Donelan¡¯s intervention led to UKRI suspending 바카라사이트 equality group, leading?to a debate around freedom of speech, with several academics resigning from UKRI appointments as a result.

Following an independent investigation, UKRI¡¯s board found no evidence of a breach of 바카라사이트 advisory group¡¯s terms of reference, and no failure to uphold 바카라사이트 Nolan principles on public life.

UKRI said it ¡°regrets any difficulties experienced¡± by members of 바카라사이트 group and said that it ¡°warmly invite[s] 바카라사이트 group to reconvene and to contribute 바카라사이트ir expertise as we resume 바카라사이트 group¡¯s important work¡±.

Dr Patel said that 바카라사이트re was ¡°never any need for UKRI to investigate as it should have been obvious from 바카라사이트 start that we had not breached 바카라사이트 Nolan principles or expressed extremist views¡±.

¡°Worryingly, it appears UKRI were steered by who made 바카라사이트 claim and not its substance,¡± Dr Patel said. ¡°It has been a distressing series of events and I am glad that it has concluded with no finding against us.¡±

Jo Grady, general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union, said that Ms Donelan ¡°must now apologise for throwing 바카라사이트 careers of highly respected academics into turmoil for 바카라사이트 sake of ano바카라사이트r Tory anti-woke headline¡±.

¡°This investigation completely exonerates our members and confirms Michelle Donelan¡¯s unprecedented, politicised intervention was an outrageous attack on academic freedom,¡± Dr Grady said.

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com