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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Header should read

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

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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

Re the not following policy - the magical protected class given yet another pass innit. How's that working out for you OU?

Oh that's hilarious. That's exactly how I've been imagining him from nothing more than the summary here of his words.

He's very strongly reminding me of a certain type of affable, slippery Nice Chap who manages to fail upwards into one Very Important Job after another – not least because people can't wait to get rid of them.

(I say Chap because of the examples I've personally had to deal with, but can readily think of a Chapess or two in the news with equal facility.)

When your own witness evidence is a disaster for your own side, you don't bring them back to dig the hole even bigger.

Off topic a little but worth noting for an article in late 2018:

"Aimee studies Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the Open University, during 2018 she sits as the Trans Caucus Representative for the Open University’s PLEXUS Student Group."

Aimee being Aimee Challinor, at the time influential in the Green Party and about to stand as Deputy Chair, lauded by the Guardian, and deputy chair of Stonewall's trans advisory group.

That's chilling to read @Needmoresleep

JM played the 'I don't do re-exams' card right at the outset. Just so we all know it's nothing to do with how well it went. Or not.

That's not off topic at all, @Needmoresleep - that's highly interesting.

I think it was very much asking the lines of someone telling them they should stop digging. Ironically if they followed their own procedures in the first place they’d have probably “won” but it turned out for my benefit in the long run. (Statutory flexible working request)

We're back for panel questions - Judge has asked whether working groups were set up for other examples of controversy (Turkish/Cypriot, Palestine/Israel). IF says no because these were lower profile controversies involving smaller numbers.

@CriticalCondition JM knew that she had to take out JP as a mad difficult bloody woman. That's why she was so ruthless with her those first days. JP, albeit reduced to tears on occasion, came through it well.

JM would know all the weak spots of what her client the OU failed to do. The calling of 18 witnesses on behalf of the OU is an attempt to intimidate JP both prior to and at the beginning of the hearing. That's failed.

Ben Cooper is steadily taking down the OU witnesses.

JM will have try and get the best out of her next witnesses, possibly back on the mad difficult bloody woman line again.

JM- re exam. Referring to a document (WS?) Dave Hall was secretary and also dealt with Comms/social media

Next witness Prof Wilson.

Witness order has changed. Prof Wilson now.

Marcia Wilson - Dean EDI

BC- MW's involvement mostly alongside IF so he won't be asking her much.

Picture here

www5.open.ac.uk/equality-diversity/content/professor-marcia-wilson-join-ou-dean-edi

She has a lovely friendly face. Who would play her?

She seems thorough. Wanted to read the whole Reindorf report rather than the summary.

Cant see in MW's bio where she's from but she seems to have spent quite a bit of time on the US (and may therefore have at least a bit of a US accent), so I vote Gina Torres to play her.

I was thinking Lisa Bonet

Just googled Gina Torres, yes she would be great.

MW found the SMinds podcast interesting but didn't listen to the whole thing, maybe 30-40mins of the whole 60. Not to the end.

I think Jo Phoenix had left the OU by the time Marcia Wilson had managed to 'review its procedures'. Jo had, I believe, suffered the detriment. Repeatedly.

https://ounews.co/around-ou/update-on-actions-taken-following-vc-statement-on-gcrn-and-academic-freedom/

MW - someone else told me about the comments at the end of the SM podcast.

I’m thinking Sophie Okonedo