Prof Jo Phoenix vs The OU - Employment Tribunal Thread 3

[ickky]

Started on 2nd October at Watford Employment Tribunal (Radius House, 51 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1HP 01923 281750)

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Email [email protected]

Header should read

URGENT CURRENT CASE - Public Access Request - J Phoenix - The Open University - 3322700/2021

Ask for access link and pin and please give your name and address in the email as they check when you connect to the tribunal.

Abbreviations

JP - Jo Phoenix, Claimant (C)
OU - The Open University, Respondent (R)
J - Regional Employment Judge Young
P - Panel or panel member
BC - Ben Cooper KC, Counsel for C
JM - Jane Mulcahy KC, Counsel for R

OU Departments & Networks:

HWSRA - Health & Wellbeing Strategic Research Area
FASS - Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
SPC - Dept of Social Policy & Criminology
KMi - Knowledge Media Institute
GCRN - Gender Critical Research Network

OU witnesses

PB - Dr Paraskevi Boukli, Former Senior Lecturer Criminology, Deputy Head SPC 2021-22
IF - Prof Ian Fribbance Dean of FASS
DD - Dr Deborah Drake, Senior Lecturer Criminology, Head of SPC 2018-21
LD - Dr Leigh Downes, Senior Lecturer in Criminology (in SPC), Academic Lead for EDI FASS 2019-21
CT - Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
LW - Louise Westmarland, Prof of Criminology, Co-Deputy Head SPC, 2018-21, Current Head SPC
MW - Prof Marcia Wilson, Dean EDI, 2020-23
CM - Caragh Molloy, Group People Director 2019-23
JD - John Domingue, Prof of Computing Science, Director KMi, 2015-22
PK - Peter Keogh, Professor Health & Society, Member RSSH
CW - Dr Christopher Williams, Senior Lecturer History
SD - Shaun Daley, Head OU’s Resourcing Hub. Head Strategic Resources, Co-Chair OU’s LGBT+ Staff Network
HBC - Helen Bowes-Catton, Lecturer Social Research Methods
NS - Nicola Snarey, Assoc Lecturer Eng Language
NatS - Natalie Starkey, Outreach & Public Engagement Officer Sch Physical Sciences, 2019-22
CT - Cath Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
SJ - Samantha Jacobson, Employee Relations Case Manager
RH - Richard Holliman, Prof Engaged Research, Head School Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences, 2019-22. Member of Investigation Panel investigating the C’s grievance

Witness for JP:

SE - Sarah Earle, Professor Modern History Uni of Oxford, Founding member GCRN

Tribunal Tweets - https://twitter.com/tribunaltweets

TT coverage so far https://tribunaltweets.substack.com/p/professor-jo-phoenix-v-the-open-university

Thread 1 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4905118-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-2nd-october-whispers-ben-cooper?page=1

Thread 2
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4913946-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-2?page=1

It seemed also particularly relevant to relate the situation to transwomen in a specific refugee camp in Kenya.

Maybe because cross sex drugs and reassignment surgery have negative health implications and IIRC a large number of trans youth present with mental health conditions.

prof ' I would have played a role in a letter/statement? I would not let anything go out in my name that I didn't agree with.

Haven't read that wels letter yet but the trans/disabled link is interesting. Looking into the ref to the OU's PLEXUS group posted above by Needmoresleep which seems to be the OU LGBT+ group I was surprised to find it linked in all sorts of stuff with the OU's disabled support group.

Ben making the point YET AGAIN that the OU appeased the group shouting the loudest. GCs need for support completely ignored. Hostile work environment confirmed again.

How can you bring both sides together when one side refuses to debate and threatens consequences if they don't get their own way

I think that witness tried her hardest to not answer anything.

Those paper bundles are an absolute mess. Why are there so many?

Just seen I know (slightly) one of the open letter signatories.

Given her research area is absolutely nothing at all to do with trans, but she does care a lot about disadvantage, is this yet another round up all the well-meaning people you know by talking about 'most vulnerable group in society'?

I've lost sound, and see in the chat that others have too

I think the judge turned if off, she did it the other day too.

Ah, thank you, back on now

Back on again

Panel member asking questions

I love this panel member's voice

Can one of the more knowledgeable legal types on here suggest any way the OU could come back from this? It feels slam dunk but I’m aware of my own bias on this topic.

MW repeating what a stressful time it was for JP. OU suggested she stay off sm to protect herself.

So they were well aware, but they didn't do anything in public to support her.

They will contain all the witness statements, copies of all the correspondence, tweets, screen shots of web pages, the grievance papers etc. essentially everything that both sides feel gives context and constitutes evidence.

@MrsDoylesCake I feel the same, wondering how much of my reaction is due to my own bias. I'm feeling dismayed and a bit sick thinking what it might have been like working there. I felt the same observing a couple of days of Allison Bailey's tribunal.

I think on paper it's clear that they did treat her differently and there was clear discrimination, but as with you, I am biased.

Thank you so much everyone for the links and updates.

I'm going to email Watford ET to let them know I can't attend again until next Wednesday at the soonest (because of work) and that they can offer my 'spot' to someone else, until then or for the rest of the tribunal. Hope they can be flexible like that. It's a real shame that people are interested but haven't been given the opportunity to attend.

Did anyone catch who is on tomorrow?

10am Start tomorrow.

Drake, Downes and I think Molloy, but the last one could be wrong

I couldn't hear JM's questions she really needs to speak up. Did anyone catch them