Prof Jo Phoenix vs The OU - Employment Tribunal Thread 5

[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.

The clerk will ask you (in a private remote room) to put your camera on to verify, this involves looking at you, but no ID is needed. You may turn off your camera after this pointless and unnecessary process.

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
MW - Prof Marcia Wilson, Dean EDI, 2020-23
CM - Caragh Molloy, Group People Director 2019-23
LD - Dr Leigh Downes, Senior Lecturer in Criminology (in SPC), Academic Lead for EDI FASS 2019-21
PK - Peter Keogh, Professor Health & Society, Member RSSH
DD - Dr Deborah Drake, Senior Lecturer Criminology, Head of SPC 2018-21
CT - Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
LW - Louise Westmarland, Prof of Criminology, Co-Deputy Head SPC, 2018-21, Current Head SPC
JD - John Domingue, Prof of Computing Science, Director KMi, 2015-22
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 - tribunaltweets.substack.com/p/professor-jo-phoenix-v-the-open-university

Prof Jo Phoenix Witness Statement (scroll to bottom of page and download)

https://jophoenix.substack.com/p/phoenix-v-open-university?sd=pf

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

Thread 3 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4917480-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-3

Thread 4 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4918479-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-4

I'm only following things here but it looks to me like KS is more concerned about his own skin than ideological purity.

I don't think KS is enjoying this very much

Definitely.

@nauticant it is a feature of most university senior leadership that their own career / interests are the only priority for them

She mentions him here.
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4839271-pilgrim-tucker-v-open-university

BC: email from Earle day after launch. Colleagues involved in network and SRA distressed. JP in tears - messages = harassment. So you knew c it.

KS: Yes

BC: so you knew c hostile environment

KS: yes

To be fair to KS people in these senior roles often have minimal support in terms of admin etc so they do get swamped with things

Chrysanthemum5, yes. It's interesting to see how the more you go up the hierarchy how there's more self-preservation and concern for institutional reputation mixed in with the ideology.

Or to put it another way, those lower down don't realise they're just cannon fodder in some insane ideological war.

BC: KMI statement disassociating from GC cos don't support views. That's not neutral

KS: no I disagree

KS - GCRN was set up for anyone with any views either in support of GC views or not to simply get together to discuss

Thanks @Manderleyagain i thought I'd seen it somewhere. Sounds like the same person. From Pilgrim's statement

I began my PhD at the OU in October 2018, researching the history of housing in North Kensington prior to the Grenfell Tower fire.
However Dr Chris Williams the OU historian that had committed to providing input on the research project was a leading transgender advocate within the university. On realising I was gender critical he blocked me on social media, and then withdrew from working on my project. Although I was promised his expertise would be replaced no history supervision input was provided.

It shouldn't be a surprise that the higher up the ladder you go, the more self-interest you find. Self-interest is what allows you to climb that ladder.

Most people in real jobs are too busy doing actual work to have time for this kind of stuff. Sayre's Law, and all that.

BC is lost. Not sure what KS talking about.

BC: so what did you think KMI are dissoc. themselves from in this statement if not GC.

J trying to ask KS what he means

Judge intervenes. Not about what KS believes about who could join. It about what KMi think.

We've all given up with the KMI q and are moving on

Seems like BC is going to let ET judge validity of answers from KS as he just keeps moving to next question no matter how daft the answer.

BC: KMI are saying to the world they disagree with the GCRN and will have them removed from our servers

KS: they are moving the content

BC: removing GCRN but not others

KS: well they just say content

BC: message to world is GCRN isn't welcome as far as we are converned

BC - KMI were disassociating themselves from GCRN and disapproving of it and wanted to take it off their servers
KS - I don't agree was discrim because continuity of GCRN with ou was going to continue

Amazing - all the OU witnesses are displaying a profound lack of understanding about letters, statements, <insert any other written word>, that clearly shows antipathy towards the GCRN

I would have expected HR to provide support, difficult if the HRD on the working group didn’t read the grievance.

She mentions him here.

Thank you, I wasn't aware that he'd been mentioned by name.

It is just not believable, they all know the true reason, make themselves look like liars by disagreeing.

KS: don't know if I rec'd email

BS: your ws says you had a meeting with them re this so you must have been aware they were putting out the statement. Statement out on 30th, meeting on 29th.

I know more about healthcare so this is a genuine question—do VCs of universities, senior management, lecturers etc. not have to (literally) sign up to the Nolan Principles of public life?

I’m wondering if the panel are enjoying this case at all or whether they wish they were dealing with other, simpler ones like this one. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67121456