Prof Jo Phoenix vs The OU - Employment Tribunal Thread 6

[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
CW - Dr Christopher Williams, Senior Lecturer History
KS - Kevin Shakesheff. PVC for Research and Innovation
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
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 - twitter.com/tribunaltweets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thread 5 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4919223-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-5

01923 281750

Prof Richard Holliman up next.

Next witness is

RH - Richard Holliman, Prof Engaged Research, Head School Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences, 2019-22. Member of Investigation Panel investigating the C’s grievance

The one that was abandoned as soon as JP left the OU

BC: in your WS you were asked by ? to act as chair of investigation panel for JP. What did she ask you about your work timetable and capacity before she confirmed you as chair.

RH: That's a very good q. I had commitments, was Head of School, busiest time of year for me.

BC: So no enquiry c your capacity before being confirmed as chair

RH: Don't remember any

BC - What enquiries were made of you in before deciding to appoint you as chair of investigation panel?
RH - that's a very good question

No dice. They are at maximum capacity for this session. She couldn't help me rationale for order in which people are readmitted after being kicked out at the break point. Bum. But she did say that they have huge amount of interest in this case...

https://www.open.ac.uk/people/rmh47
Here he is

Ignore, mean to quote Ikky's post with the telephone number for the ET.

I hope we've got Debra tomorrow, cos Justin is too mercurial for me.

@Melissamelisante That is not true, we had many more in here yesterday.

Maybe it's Justin's, you know, "time of the tribunal" and that's why he's just so MOODY.

BC: what about your involvement in the area. Goes to a timeline of steps in investigation.

BC: Reads - docs shared with panel on 5th July. The actual start of your work.

RH: Yes

BC: You're being asked to attend training. You say I can't do this at such short notice esp in July cos end of year. This is my first grievance case. If you need to move quickly you need someone with a more forgiving sched.

I had my doubts, but I wasn't going to call the lady a liar and tell her to tell Justin to pull his finger out.

I had commitments, was Head of School, busiest time of year for me

<Licks pencil, readies bingo card expectantly>

I've spent a fair few minutes thinking there's no sound, then I realise I'd turned the volume off....

😂

RH: She said it should take c 3 months

RH: I made efforts to reduce my non-essential work, missed meetings, stopped doing my research and was working c 6 days a week during investigation until c the suspension of the investigation until Jan.

BC: still doing some work as HoD. Took up a reasonable amount of time

RH: yes

I wonder if TT could make an application to the Judge about the hit and miss-ness.
(Clutches at straws!).

RH - I stopped doing non-essential work, research and I was working 6 days a week.

Was this guy set up to fail I wonder?

So he worked his fingers to the bone for 6 months, working 6 days a week on JP's grievance? WTF was he doing, certain people could invent a whole internet in that time.

BC- Who gave you the investigation training?
RH - a lawyer, it was a short session with a lawyer

BC: Did you do this training?

RH: Yes, before the scheduled mtg with JP

BC: who trained you

RH: a lawyer. A short training session with a lawyer.
BC: Your first grievance investigation.

RH: Yes

BC: And beyond being an academic you don't have any specific knowledge around ac freedom

RH: no

Who was the lawyer do we know?

I hope it's being noted how many people can't get in and take the trouble to phone up to request access during this case. It has huge significance for biological realists in the workplace and whilst I'm sure they're doing their best (Well Deborah did), it's not really in the spirit of open justice.

Off topic, I've just been misgendered by someone really Benphobic at the school gates. They obviously didn't know i was self-iding as BC but still! (still haven't found the thermometer)