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)

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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
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

No. BC didn't ask but he said he couldnt remember.

Very much so. And they don't want to own their opinions.

So this is the nube that they gave the grievance to that was so extraordinary that they set up a working group. Hmmmm.

BC: reads that RH writes it's hard not to see the launch of the GCRN as provocation cos so near to Pride

RH: Yes. Now I realise I was wrong c that

Was it an actual lawyer or someone in the academic law department who'd been on SW training?

RH: I was being contacted c people concerned c safety of staff and students

pronounsbundlebundle Do make a note of the EXACT time you were at the school gates, sorry you were triggered at being not recognised as BC.

So this is the person asked to chair the grievance but he'd already been emailing about the GCRN in a negative way?

I'm stunned that he said that with a straight face.

'Provocation', for crying out loud.

BC: JP's complaints c KMI were added early on to the bundle you got. You say to JD your solution looks reasonable to me. You had expressed a firm view that JD's approach ws okay

RH: I had an issue with way they argued removing the KMI logo. You can't remove a single SRA network - remove all or none.

I wish they'd all just pause for a moment to reflect on the fact that the safety of trans people is NOT threatened by the GCRN. It's emotional abuse to suggest it is - coercive control -if you have your own opinions I will literally be unsafe (etc).

The freedom programme needs to go into universities, clearly. Coercive control is a crime, right?

Who are the people who've actually been unsafe in this clash of beliefs? Women. Like the 70 year old punched in the skull in NZ. The women sexually assaulted and raped by XYs in prison.

Well, this is helpful to Jo, someone who has never done a grievance before, not impartial, and a bit of iffy training from an unknown lawyer.

The children assaulted by the likes of Katie Dolatowski in toilets labelled 'women's' - in one case IIRC whilst the child's father (a decent adult human male) waited outside.

BC: had you looked at the content of open letter when you wrote this email about the open letter

RH: no I had't read it then

Wouldn't you check your calendar to remind yourself before giving evidence??

BC- Had you looked at the content of the open letter at the time of sending this email?
RH - I don't think so, no. Obviously read it countless times since.

RH: if people wanted to sign in a personal capacity that was up to them. They are then accountable for those sigs

RH: I don't know why I didn't find these emails at the time. I should have looked more carefully

Still no witness statement from Blackstone.

BC- Do you happen to know the date of the training you had undertaken?
RH - no but I can look it up in my diary if you want

BC: Why did first meeting with JP not happen until a month after putting in her grievance

RH: My busy timetable, training etc

BC: so a month of the 3 months has already lapsed. Mtg then rearranged a month on - you and a panel member were on hols

BC: none of details c arranging all this were discussed with you before you were appointed

RH: correct

Whoever said on here c grievance into the long grass looks to be right

BC: was there a discussion c timetables. Do you remember Prof Earle talking c timetable because of public nature of all this and poss harm re open statements

They made a recommendation to suspend the letters (they didn't take them down)

No one may mention reality during 'Pride' season.... even a lesbian ffs?

There isn't one screw fully tightened.