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)

You may attend in person or remote viewing has been quite limited but you can request log in details from

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

@RocketPanda glad you are on the road to recovery.

For the bingo card - it’s complicated.

I can't attend today but will check in for updates and try to go again. I haven't spoken to Jo (and didn't expect to as don't know her just "of her" through this case) but her partner was welcoming and thanking supporters for attending each day which I thought was very kind bearing in mind the stress they are all under. She says Jo found the support comforting so I think it's important to keep it up.

Evidence yesterday also inspired me to put on NHS staff survey free content section that I felt unsupported and under threat of discrimination for my gender critical beliefs and would appreciate in future if organisation expressed support for both trans, non binary and gender affirming violates and those with gender critical beliefs and that harassment in all forms won't be tolerated.

The bingo card could end up the size of the periodic table and we'd still get a full house in a couple of hours.

It's all going a tits up at the tribunal, some panic button had been pressed in error, judge paused proceedings. Now resumed.

😂

I can also report the cup is still in the lonely no mans land and nobody is picking it up! :(

It's okay. The cup identifies as a non cup, so all good.

Was someone panicking about facing Ben?

I've emailed them and asked for a link. Can I ask how the ID process works? Do you need to show them anything (like a document) or do they just want to see you are a person in good faith and not some troll? I want to be prepared.

No, there was some kerfuffle at the back of the room, out of shot.

I’m still waiting to be let in again.

The clerk will usually ask you to put your camera on so they can see you, this happens in a private remote room, you can then turn it off. You don't need to show any ID.

It really is a pointless exercise, nobody has to even give them in if they attend in person.

Remember that Tom Lehrer song The Elements? We need to adapt the lyrics.

I think I only know him from Beck, where he is very much rugged Norseman. But it's quite possible I've seen him in other things and not recognised the man who lives under all the hair.

The clerk speaks to you in a private conversation and asks if you will have your camera & microphone on or off. That’s it. I was not asked for ID or to prove who I am.

they don’t say what they’re checking for but in light of the email that comes with the log in details, I presume it is to check that you are one person in a relatively private location and not hosting a listening party in a meeting room or something.

I rang the tech support number and spoke to someone in some central techie place. She worked out which hearing it was and passed me on to the next person - at which point I ended up in a message service (O2 if anyone's interested). I left a message pleading to be let in to the ET today. Sounds like they might be a bit busy.

“I didn’t read the full grievance”

bingo card - I didn’t read the document/listen to the full podcast etc.

CM - did not read the full grievance.

I'm not up to that but hopefully someone is and it'll make @boiledbeetle's next anthology.

BC: Complaint on 24 June. Presumably you read it soon after it arrived.

CM: Didn't read the grievance at that time.

BC: You were in charge of HR etc re this. You didn't read it ?

CM: I didn't read the full grievance.

BC: Ever?!

CM: No.

CM never read Jo's grievance. 😳

Someone has asked in the chat box for those in the lobby to be let in.

It appears she’s the type of manager who regards her job as making sure other people do theirs, and not contributing her own expertise.

Ben displayed a bit of exasperation there.

So, to recap, the group director of HR did not bother to trouble herself with Jo's grievance?

FFS she didn’t read the grievance.