Is the Bristol (all departments) a response to the disciplinary investigation of the student Nic Shall?
May 2018 From the thread below there is an open letter of support from 'feminist academics', which also smeared WPUK to the Vice Chancellor of Bristol University.
(Natacha Kennedy is a signatory)
openletterbristol.wordpress.com/
"Dear Professor Brady,
As feminist scholars, we are writing to express our concern at the news that disciplinary procedures have been initiated against a PhD student who petitioned against a discriminatory event associated with the University of Bristol.
The student, Nic Shall, wrote a petition opposing an event organised by the anti-trans campaign group “A Woman’s Place”. Shall has been accused by the Vice Chancellor’s office of writing a letter containing false information, attempting to suppress the free speech of fellow students, and bringing the university into disrepute. They have been threatened with expulsion.
We believe that the disciplinary action against Shall represents an attack on the democratic right to free expression, and that it is this action that brings the University of Bristol into disrepute. The student in question is, in effect, being threatened with expulsion for writing a petition. If the University of Bristol is to uphold the principle of free speech and encourage political debate, then students and staff must be afforded the right to openly express their principled opposition to bigotry and discrimination.
We further insist that Shall’s letter did not contain false information in stating that “A Women’s Place” provide a platform for hate speech. This group is committed solely to campaigning against trans rights, as enshrined in legislation such as the Gender Recognition Act 2004 and the Equality Act 2010. Speakers at events hosted by “A Women’s Place” have propagated ignorant and harmful narratives through the use of offensive stereotypes, drawing a false dichotomy between trans rights and women’s rights, and misrepresenting both empirical research and current laws. The group has thereby played a role in creating moral panic about trans people’s role in public life, and contributed to atmosphere of fear and shame among trans people.
Finally, we believe that the right to free speech must be balanced with a responsibility to promote respect and justice for all. The University of Bristol Equality and Diversity Policy states that the University aims to create an inclusive environment that respects the diversity of its staff and students. It further commits to complying with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, which include a duty to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The University of Bristol holds an Athena SWAN bronze award and is a Stonewall Diversity champion; both schemes require that the institution actively uphold the right of trans students and staff to participate in academic life on a free and equitable basis.
In threatening Shall with expulsion and offering tacit support to an openly anti-trans event, the University of Bristol has demonstrated that it does not provide an environment in which trans students and staff can reasonably participate in fair and open political debate. Both actions clearly violate the principles of the University’s Equality and Diversity policy, as well as the Athena SWAN charter and Stonewall Diversity Champion scheme.
As such, we hope that the Vice Chancellor’s office will act swiftly to dismiss the disciplinary against Nic Shall, and apologise for the hurt caused to trans students and staff by the institution’s position on the “A Woman’s Place” event."
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3259500-Trans-Student-Faces-Expulsion-from-Univeristy-of-Bristol
WPUK response:
womansplaceuk.org/womans-place-bristol-university/
April 2018 Bristol University statement about free speech:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3233018-Freedom-of-Speech-A-statement-by-the-Chair-of-the-Universitys-Equality-Diversity-and-Inclusion-Group