Times on activists threatening academics

[Igneococcus]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/activists-thwart-work-on-gender-law-reforms-jx6lwd6tf?shareToken=228811c77bc80971bfe94c41286869c4

Oldstyle

From what position, by what authority, do they do this?

As far as I can see they have none. I don't see how two people who have no background of doing any good for anyone except themselves can be considered worth listening to when they are making vicious attacks on a woman with such a background who hasn't said or done anything that is discriminatory or offensive.

Their behaviour is deliberately offensive and defaming, which is/could lead to discrimination against Edge that causes her to lose work and standing. How can anyone not see the contradition?

I've come across those White Pube idiots before. They're that dangerous combination of ignorant, arrogant, and (fuck knows why) in possession of a platform. A bit like Ash Sarkar, but more foul-mouthed and lacking in basic literacy. And similarly high on their own power.

Irritating as they are, though, the blame here is entirely on LJMU. A university sacrificing academic freedom and its own staff to Twitter trolls does not deserve to exist.

They slap in a bit of blusher and think they’re Pol Pot.

I call them the Khmer Rouge.

Someone in twitter is calling them the Twitler Youth.

I've seen the stuff on Twitter about Nina Edge and it doesn't add up for me, as someone who's worked in universities for getting on for 30 years. I don't doubt that those two idiots from White Pube have been trying to get her sacked, which is appalling, but universities simply don't move that fast. I have never known a process whereby a student complaint gets a 'meeting' (with whom?) and then a dismissal within 24 hours, as is being presented.

Any and all complaints made to a university have to be investigated, whether or not they are from members of that university, or some random off the street. But this normally takes weeks, as there are clear complaints processes which have to be followed. Even if, and that's a big if, the university finds the complaint is justified, that itself wouldn't necessarily lead to dismissal, and certainly not without an appeal. This would be true even in the case of a temporary or guest lecturer.

Don't get me wrong - I have seen many attacks on academics for the views they hold, and I do think there is an organised campaign of silencing, which is dreadful. An academic friend was the subject of a similar complaint last year by TRAs, who tried to get her sacked and claimed her teaching would be 'unsafe' for trans students. But something doesn't add up with this case yet for me, so I really want to see what LJMU say about this. So far yet they haven't issued any confirmation of what WP are saying, have they?

Any and all complaints made to a university have to be investigated, whether or not they are from members of that university, or some random off the street. But this normally takes weeks, as there are clear complaints processes which have to be followed

OrangeStudent made similar claims on a recent thread
about Oxford University 'backing' his belief that Prof. Michael Biggs should be disciplined for transphobia & breach of values.

Given the constant issues with failures of comprehension of written information on SM, it is definitely worth waiting for clarification.

Clear statements from Universities are much-needed and hopefully in a shorter time span than the NUS is taking to deal with Jess Bradley's disciplinary investigation.

I think the chances of Oxford disciplining or dismissing Michael Biggs on the basis of the Oxford Student article are slightly lower than my chances of flying unaided, whatever a student might think.

Absolutely, hopefully they will make their position clear though.

Another Oxford academic is quoted in the OP:

"Selina Todd, a history professor at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, said yesterday that she feared a “witch-hunt” would target anyone who dared to challenge proposals to open female-only spaces — such as changing rooms and refuges — to men who identify as women.

Todd has faced demands that she should not be considered for future membership of women’s committees because of her views on preserving women-only spaces. “First of all I was taken aback — now I feel angry,” she said.

“This feels to me like an attack on women’s rights and their right to speak. It feels like the beginning of a witch-hunt. I would like universities to strengthen academic freedom in the face of a few activists trying to stir up trouble.”

Thanks for link to event. Can’t go sadly but will try to get to her HR lecture in November.

I also think writing to universities is a really good idea, if only to let them know there are people out there who support GC staff. If you can write to your own old universities, so much the better in my experience.

Can’t see universities sacking staff over this as they don’t have a leg to stand on legally, but I wish they’d come out more strongly for free speech and evidenced debate.

OrangeStudent made similar claims on a recent thread about Oxford University 'backing' his belief that Prof. Michael Biggs should be disciplined for transphobia & breach of values.

The Oxford VC has previously issued the strongest statement in support of free speech so far in the sector, making it clear that she won’t shield students from controversial views:

www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/09/07/oxford-vice-chancellor-forced-issue-statement-clarifying-free/

The views she’s referring to are rather more controversial than the kind of things that Michael Biggs has tweeted, which 80% of the public would agree with.

I’m afraid OrangeStudent is going to find that students don’t have the support or power to sack wrongthinkers that they believe they do.

from the article above:
7 SEPTEMBER 2017
(extract)
"They don't feel comfortable being in class with someone with those views," [Prof Richardson] told the Times Higher Education World Academic Summit earlier this week.

“And I say, ‘I’m sorry, but my job isn’t to make you feel comfortable. Education is not about being comfortable,” she said. “If you don’t like his views, you challenge them, engage with them, and figure [out] how a smart person can have views like that.

"Work out how you can persuade him to change his mind. It is difficult, but it is absolutely what we have to do."

Oxford University’s student union urged anyone who is affected by the comments to discuss their concerns with Welfare and Equal Opportunities officer or the peer support team."

I wonder if this has been interpreted by some as carte blanche to make others uncomfortable?

Oxford VC got a lot of flack for that comment though of course she is right.

Can’t see universities sacking staff over this as they don’t have a leg to stand on legally, but I wish they’d come out more strongly for free speech and evidenced debate.

Yes, I agree with this. A clear statement from a VC such as has been done at Sussex in support of Kathleen Stock would head quite a lot of these complaints off at the pass. I would also support the idea of writing to universities about this. I suspect a lot have their heads down waiting for this current issue to pass and hoping they don't get drawn into it. The more noise that is made about the need to support GC academics, the better IMO.

I think so too Materialist. I think it's a clear next step if this continues (which it will.)

FPFW did settle out of court with the Independent, I believe over that article Owl wrote rubbishing their (as it turned out, correct) transwomen in prisons statistics. And I know A Woman's Place had started being more vigorous with the likes of the BBC on their reporting and making them correct the slurs in their reporting.

wow, Cowardly Sockpuppet is a very good writer, thanks for linking.

It took me three years to get to 1900 followers on twitter. Cowardly Sockpuppet has done it from scratch in about three days. That thread has hit a nerve and not just with believers.

Durham University:

Angelos Sofocleous
"I am happy to see that Durham Students' Union has carried out an investigation on my firings from DUPS_Critique and DurhamBubble and has concluded that my firings were unfair and undemocratic, calling for the journal and the magazine to apologize. Thank you durhamSU."

twitter.com/Sofocleous_A/status/1056874851015761920

Spectator article by Angelos Sofocleous
20 September 2018

"How I was hounded off campus for saying ‘women don’t have penises’
(extract)
"What harm can it do saying that women don’t have penises? Quite a lot, actually, if my experience is anything to go on. After sharing a statement with that message on Twitter, along with a screenshot from a Spectator article, the backlash was swift. Less than a month after sending that tweet, I had lost my position as president-elect of Humanist Students as well as my role as assistant editor of Durham University’s philosophy society’s undergraduate journal, Critique. I was also given the boot as co-editor-in-chief of Durham University’s online student magazine, the Bubble. All for saying something that many people would surely agree with.

The reaction against me was extreme, yet it was far from exceptional. On campus, the subject of gender is now off limits for those who fail to fall into line with the new orthodoxy: that being a man or a woman is fluid. Anyone who says otherwise is liable to find themselves hounded into silence." (continues)

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/09/how-i-was-hounded-off-campus-for-saying-women-dont-have-penises/

Telegraph today:
'Oxford professor says 'academic freedom' is under threat after he is accused of running transphobic Twitter account'
(extract)
"Professor Biggs did not say explicitly that the account - which was suspended yesterday afternoon by Twitter - belongs to him and he could not be reached yesterday for comment.

After he was approached for comment by student reporters, Professor Biggs published a statement on his website in which he outlined his stance on transphobia.

"It is not transphobic to discuss the merits of legislation or to debate theories about sex and gender. Dictionary definitions such as ‘woman: adult human female’ and ‘lesbian: female homosexual’ are not transphobic. Nor is it transphobic to call the convicted rapist Karen White—who was placed in a women’s prison—a man," it read.

Asked to specifically comment on the university's policy on transphobia and harassment, he pointed to the university's "progressive tradition... such as ending the regulation of sub fusc according to sex."

He said he did not believe: "that gender identity supersedes sex, any more than I believe that Jesus was the son of God. Therefore I oppose any attempt by the University to establish an official doctrine on gender, just as I would oppose the imposition of a single religion or one particular position on Israel-Palestine. The enforcement of orthodoxy—often disguised as ‘diversity’—would destroy the University’s very foundation: academic freedom." (continues)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/28/oxford-professor-says-academic-freedom-threat-accused-running/

Khmer Rouge

That is brilliant.

I’m going to struggle without my specs though...

Telegraph 23 DECEMBER 2017:
'Academics say research is being hindered by universities' fear of online backlash'
(extract)
"Academics say they have been forced to leave the country to pursue their research interests as British universities are accused of blocking studies over fears of backlash on social media.

As they come under increasing attack from online activists, some of the country’s leading academics have accused universities of putting their reputations before their responsibility to defend academic freedom.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, they claim that university ethics committees are now “drifting into moral vanity” by vetoing research in areas that are seen as “politically incorrect”. (continues)

The academics have decided to speak out as James Caspian, one of the country’s leading gender specialists, revealed that he is planning to take Bath Spa University to judicial review over its decision to turn down his research into transgenderism.

A professor who recently left a prestigious Russell Group institution to work in Italy said that while safeguards were needed to ensure research was conducted ethically, some universities now appeared to be “covering their own arses”.

“I’ve certainly heard and know of ethics committees voicing concerns about parts of research that would to most of us seem ridiculous. I think they sometimes go too far.

“In general I’m supportive of ethics committees, but there is room for discussion on their criteria. Attracting a lot unwanted attraction on social media...most researchers would not consider that relevant.

“That’s a matter for the PR office, not an ethics committee.”

Dr Heather Brunskell-Evans, a fellow of King’s College London who has previously sat on research awarding bodies, claimed that some universities were becoming “authoritarian”.

Universities project themselves as places of open debate, while at the same time they are very worried about being seen to fall foul of the consensus,” she added." (continues)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/12/23/academics-say-research-hindered-universities-fear-online-backlash/

thread with background: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3129659-Update-from-James-Caspian-on-his-case-against-Bath-Spa-University-to-be-allowed-to-research-detransitioners?pg=3

( the crowdfunder to fund judicial review is in its last couple of weeks)
www.crowdjustice.com/case/free-speech-matters-round2/

And yet ethics committees are allowing blockers for underage kids.

Utter fucking madness

I'm an academic and I seriously hope my actual students rate me on kindness, helpfulness, and being accommodating to their needs and difficulties (like the one that just wrote and thanked me and a colleague for arranging something separately for her due to her health condition).

I think if you said to my department that someone was going to be fired due to their political beliefs that don't have any bearing on their actual teaching you'd get short shrift. But I'm in STEM.

All fun and games aye? Spiteful malicious bullying

Short article in the Times today:

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/lecturer-s-job-fear-after-raising-trans-concerns-dstp8p7zz?shareToken=1014c98121d3a5f8ee63ea8aebeac352