Jo Phoenix vs The OU Employment Tribunal 2nd October (whispers Ben Cooper)

[ickky]

Employment Tribunal starts next Monday, not sure if it is available for remote viewing.

I have sent a request so we will see.

I have three questions prepared so far, cannot reveal them as I don't want any cheating.

I've been doing other stuff for a while now so this case totally passed me by.
Thanks to whoever whispered Ben cooper's name, or I'd still be in the dark.
I'm here for the shenanigans and support mums and animals and of course jo and rocket.
So this is my long winded place mark.

I think if @RocketPanda comes back as a TRA she will probably get away with it for quite a while with a couple of judiciously-applied OH FFS! posts... I mean, that's all a lot of us will be saying for duration, I imagine.

I'm all FFSed out for today (see anthropology thread), and it's not even half past 10.

Hope all goes well, @RocketPanda

But a TRA would say … “Oh, here we go” though wouldn’t they?

According to Jo's update - The court is an open court - meaning there is a public gallery and members of the public are allowed to watch.

So if anyone is around Watford next week they could see the tragicomedy of these 18 witnesses in person - I'm jealous.

Has anyone had a response to their request for online access?

@MyLadyDisdainlsYetLiving no response yet. I suspect Watford may be surprised by the level of interest. It is unusual to have so many people wanting public access to an ET.

As it's been another couple of days now just wondering if anyone has heard back from Watford yet?

nope, still waiting here.

If Watford haven’t had a case with this level of online interest before then they could well be a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes. If I remember correctly, the login details for Alison Bailey’s hearing were only sent out within an hour of the hearing.

On a positive note, at least we haven’t had a reply saying it’s not going to be available online.

Apparently the first day will just be about deciding the schedule of evidence giving, so it will be a short day anyway. If you only get login credentials on Monday you probably won't miss much.

Nothing here, but it is usually on the day.

Thankyou ickky, good luck Rocketpanda and of course good luck Jo. Does anyone know who the defence team is yet?

Are you hoping for a return of Mr Hochhauser and his performative grumpiness?

Unfortunately won't be able to watch, but will be keeping an eye on this thread and elsewhere.

Me neither, hopefully people will keep us updated on this thread.

Positive thoughts and best wishes to @RocketPanda .

18 witnesses, that will be hard to keep momentum going. Hope someone has warned Watford to stock up on tissues and security in case anyone feels literally threatened by possible death in having to give evidence.

I won't be able to watch either but will catch up here and hopefully on Tribunal Tweets. Though frankly I'm hoping the OU rethink, withdraw and apologise fulsomely. The tide is not with them and the 18 they have found who are happy to bully out women. If not, I'd like Ben and wren to win a record breaking settlement.

Good luck @RocketPanda and keep that terfyness

Latest update from Jo Phoenix's Crowdfunder page.

Finally here. It starts tomorrow. Friends, Family, Supporters and Colleagues
It's finally here. The Employment Tribunal begins tomorrow.
I have six important messages:
1. This case is about what can be justified in the name of academic freedom.
2. I'm ready and my legal team is ready.
3. I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone who has so far contributed to the crowdjustice fund or promoted it or just talked about it.
4. You have covered everything I need to pay for all the legal fees until the end of this hearing on 20th October 2023. This hearing is a liabilities hearing whose purpose is to make a determination of fact. In my case, did the behaviour of several of my direct colleagues and the university amount to bullying, harassment and discrimination, did the university fail to protect me, was I constructively dismissed? You have put enough into my crowdjustice fund to cover all the work of the last two years as well as my KC's work and my solicitor's work for the hearing itself.
5. Next steps after the hearing: Once the tribunal finishes on 20th October, we will have an indication from the Judge as to when we might expect a judgment. Once the judgement is published, there is a 28 day period in which the 'losing side' (for lack of better words) can lodge an appeal.

• If no appeal is lodged, and the panel find in my favour, there will be a further hearing with further legal costs. This hearing is to decide what is called 'remedies' (i.e. the cost that The Open University might have to pay me for what happened). You know from Forstater and Bailey these are usually around two-three days so the cost of legal fees are not the scale of costs for the liability hearing.
• If an appeal is lodged, then we are looking at legal fees to cover the appeal process.

Either way, there will be more legal fees to pay. Hence, the target has been increased and whatever the outcome (I hope I win), I will need your help again in the future because this hearing is just the beginning of the final stages of the legal process. 6. Since I left The Open University, and thanks to working in a university that has supported me wonderfully, I have produced the following:

• Phoenix, J. (2022) “Rights and Wrongs: how gender identification policy places women at risk in prisons” MLi, Available here.
• Phoenix, J. (2023) When we are at our most vulnerable: the sickening extent of rapes and sexual assaults in our hospitals, Women’s Right Network. Available here
• Phoenix, J. (2023) “Prostitution and Sex Work” in Leibling, A., Maruna, S. and L. McAra, (eds) 7th edition The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Available here (or through your local library)
• Phoenix, J. (2023) “Sex, Gender, Identity in Criminology” in Sullivan, A. and Todd, S. (eds) Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader , Taylor and Francis: London. Available here (or through your local library)
• Phoenix, J. (2023) Gender Diverse Prisoners and Sex-Based Patterns of Offending MLi Available here

Thank you to each and every one of you. Jo Phoenix PS I love British Wildlife - of all varieties. I love seeing it on my facebook and twitter feeds.

Don't know why it is hidden. Just copied and pasted an update from Jo Phoenix. It was from her Crowdfunder page but it didn't link it.

Thank you everyone.
I think there's generally an issue with links to any crowdfunder @ickky . You can screenshot and post it though.

£200,775 for Jo so far, with a stretched target of £220k.

I'm sure that she is strengthened by so many gardening enthusiasts!

An engine search with her name should show up the appropriate link.

Just putting my jumper on a chair and sidling away again… ready for tomorrow!

Thanks for the heads up, must donate again when I get paid.

Hopefully this thread will be as entertaining as the last tribunal ones :-)