Michael Foran has had to cancel the remaining lectures on Sex, GI and the law.....

A spokesperson for the university seems to have said something, to the Mail at least:

'Freedom of speech and academic freedom are fundamental to the University of Oxford.
'Members of our academic community must be able to teach, research, speak and debate within the law, including on issues that are controversial or strongly contested. Equally, we support the right to lawful protest and civil disagreement.
'Despite interruptions by protesters at the start, the first two talks in Professor Foran's series proceeded and continued uninterrupted. We are concerned that the series will not now be completed as planned.
'The talks were being delivered alongside the publication of Professor Foran's recent book, and the university will work with him to explore how the remaining events can take place.
'The university remains committed to freedom of speech, academic freedom and respectful debate.'

So what is it going to do about being committed to these things?

You’re not wrong there with the commodification of the university experience. I was one of the old-school academics who thought I had been hired to progress the field in my area of research, and teach engaged and interested students. By the time I left 10 years ago the rot had already begun to creep in - I was told by my “line manager” (a colleague, who was given the title but not any management training, when the uni suddenly decided that they needed such things as line managers) that I needed to learn how to “play the game” better. I am simultaneously glad that I am out, and saddened that the whole of academia appears to now be a farce.

I assumed he was going to a formal dinner afterwards. There are plenty of black tie events in Oxford.

I’ve watched many of his videos, including both of the lectures in this series, and this is the only time I’ve seen him dressed that way.

These authoritarian, controlling idiots spoilt it for those who do have the emotional maturity to cope with reason, fact, and ideas they don't always agree with.

I bet they think he's the fascist.

While I agree that the publicity will do Michael - and the GC cause - no harm, it's excruciating to watch one of our supposedly best universities allow this benighted idiocy to triumph over rational debate, critical thinking and adult emotional maturity.

I don't think universities are good at joined up thinking, the person doing the hiring is going to be doing on academic grounds and research profile etc... Many university staff still think they work at a "University" - rather then a for profit entertainment/service provider.

Management have gone all in on as "students as customers" and every need to be about "increasing student satisfaction" - this element destroys academic freedom as "upsetting ideas" can't happen nor can "challenging work" or just failing crap students...they paid they must pass.

In every uni its a mess, with staff that were there pre-fee hike attempting to retain standards while being undermined by management that will drop any standard if it keeps the money flowing in.

The University of Oxford has been around for some nine hundred years. It does nothing in a hurry. Keble was founded as recently as 1870, and is positively red brick, by Oxford standards, but it probably hasn’t even noticed yet.

I’m not sure the University itself has condoned any particular behaviour, has it
They haven't told people to keep the protests civil and not interrupt him or hurl personal insults, and/or reminded anyone of the university's own Freedom of Speech statement, which comes out to the same thing.

I’m not sure the University itself has condoned any particular behaviour, has it?

Cancelling also saves MF the trouble of writing and delivering any more lectures. Which is a shame, I felt the first two (certainly the second) covered a lot of ground that’s been covered before. I was looking forward to new.

Maybe I’ll just have to buy the book.

The fact that the University's reaction will have been foreseen by MF, and might even 'suit' him, does not make the lamentable response of the University in condoning this behaviour any better.

He delivered the second lecture in a DJ & bow tie.

Agree - he has a very nice line in coloured suits though based on recent films and photos!

He's not wearing a dinner jacket in the videos I've seen. Pic of him posted at 10.56 by PP he's not wearing a DJ

I’ll put a contrary view.

It’s great publicity for his book and for him, and for Keble. Better than if the lectures had continued, in fact.

the lectures are a good idea and I’d have gone along if I’d been nearby. But academic lectures for students aren’t usually given in the evening or in a dinner jacket. It would have been given as part of the Law faculty, not in a small theatre of Dr. Foran’s college, which I imagine he booked privately. As he is perfectly entitled to do, of course.

This really is a book tour, so a bit of light theatre doesn’t hurt. Anybody.

And if they're all being employed by people who've swallowed the same ideology, they'll each think the other is wonderful and will love to recruit and work with each other.

yeah but most of them come from
a wealthy background so wont have to worry about anything so bourgeois as getting a job

Sadly I am not an Oxford alumna otherwise I would!
I'll be really interested to hear how they respond to you.

It’s interesting to me that his department /college /the university have let this happen. He was only hired at Oxford recently, but he has been active in clarifying the law on sex and single-sex provisions for some time. That means his employers knew full well his views, and that he would be continuing to espouse them, when they hired him. This situation cannot therefore be a surprise, surely? What did they expect would happen? Why, having hired a vocally GC lawyer to do research and teach about sex and the law, are they so silent in the face of him not being able to do so? Are they worried they will be seen to be complicit?

Michael and friends must have gamed this out in advance and must have a plan, mustn't they? It's curious that there's no immediate announcement contradicting the idea that this is just a straight loss of the lectures, but I'm hopeful something is happening behind the scenes. Would be very sad if not, anyway!

Not before they have wound up all of the employed reliable bods who then leave due to the toxic atmosphere...

They are all going to wind up unemployed and unemployable.

Me too. I have a DD studying there (not law) and part of their induction at Freshers Week covered the importance of academic freedom and ability to argue different positions without cancelling anyone.

I referenced that in my letter.

It’s absolutely outrageous that the University has allowed this to happen

Moment Oxford University professor is forced to cancel lecture after pro-trans activists call him a 'bigot' and 'transphobic' | Daily Mail Online

This will be very interesting - get popcorn!

Michael Foran is The Expert in UK discrimination law and is a staff member of Oxford University

The same University doesn’t seem to have taken any action about Biggus Tittus, or prevented targeting of other staff previously, suggesting a widespread problem.

Michael has had his advice followed by UK government and has launched a book that will become THE guide to equality law in the UK. So he probably knows more about the law in this area than the Uni… under normal circumstances this might make an organisation careful not to break the law especially with this staff member…

Instead:

Michael tries to give a series of lectures on the topic of law within the university

The book launch itself was not disrupted.

Lecture 1 was slightly disrupted by protesters (?) and I assume that this was flagged to the university to take action.

Lecture 2 was disrupted and threats made to identify and doxx attendees on social media.

On any other topic this type of disruption would be a disciplinary process against the students - cf Connie Shaw or Brodie Mitchell being threatened by their universities with expulsion for expressing GC views (without disrupting any lectures or any threatening behaviour as seen at Michael’s recent lectures).

Lectures 3 & 4 were cancelled due to this intimidation and bullying of staff and students.

If I were a betting woman I imagine a complaint has been made to the university about the lack of assistance to stop unacceptable disruption, threatening behaviour and sanction these individuals from the university.

I imagine this has been done entirely properly within the complaints procedure. And entirely within the rules which would - if necessary - allow the Office for Students as regulator to pick up this complaint…

The case against Sussex might have collapsed due to poor procedure but I if this matter runs its course in the way im suspecting then I think that there is unlikely to be repeat of that problem here. So hopefully - theoretically- we might eventually get to see the nub of the problem discussed in court, rather than lose on procedural grounds before substantial matters can be aired.

If Oxford University hasn’t twigged this then they are idiots. If theyve decided to ignore it and bend to the TRAs they’re foolish given what happened at Sussex. If they don’t get a grip /make a stand then at some point they’ll have to justify all of this in court, with all the attention and reputational damage that it will bring.

i predict that this going to be very interesting

Why do they always stand like that, one arm across their body, reading from a phone? Why aren’t they able to stand up and speak without reading from a phone? Hideous behaviour. They’ll think they’re fabulous and winning, whereas in reality they just look like total dickhead intolerant bigots.

Sending emails to both the Oxford University Development Office and that of my former college this morning to let them know I have no intention of providing any further donations until the University properly upholds its own Freedom of Speech statement (https://compliance.web.ox.ac.uk/freedom-of-speech) and demonstrates that it is an institution that values debate, challenge and learning. I'd encourage any other alumni to do the same.