Prof Jo Phoenix vs The OU - Employment Tribunal Thread 7

[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
NatS - Natalie Starkey, Outreach & Public Engagement Officer Sch Physical Sciences, 2019-22
HBC - Helen Bowes-Catton, Lecturer Social Research Methods
JD - John Domingue, Prof of Computing Science, Director KMi, 2015-22
LW - Louise Westmarland, Prof of Criminology, Co-Deputy Head SPC, 2018-21, Current Head SPC
RH - Richard Holliman, Prof Engaged Research, Head School Environment, Earth & Ecosystem Sciences, 2019-22. Member of Investigation Panel investigating the C’s grievance
DD - Dr Deborah Drake, Senior Lecturer Criminology, Head of SPC 2018-21😇
CT - Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
SD - Shaun Daley, Head OU’s Resourcing Hub. Head Strategic Resources, Co-Chair OU’s LGBT+ Staff Network
NS - Nicola Snarey, Assoc Lecturer Eng Language
CT - Cath Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
SJ - Samantha Jacobson, Employee Relations Case Manager

Witness for JP:

SE - Professor Sarah Earle, Head of the HWSRA

Tribunal Tweets - https://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)

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

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

Thread 6 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4921308-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-6

The OU has a broad range of courses and research I can very easily understand death threats. I still recall the anti-vivisection protests.

SJ - I passed concerns to Rob Macey including taking down the open letter.

Justin's had enough!

Right, but several at the same time?!

I think Justin is off home, he has asked when the hearing ends, can we disconnect ourselves.

Last one out, switch off the lights.

Sounds like it might be more common than we imagine. A friend is a professor and when he failed a student who hadn't done any work, the student and his dad sent him death threats.

She passed on the request to take the open letter down. Exactly what I would expect.

A credible witness.

Does anyone know who the panel are made up of? Are they random people, like in a jury, or what?

JS passed RH recommendations (eg c taking down the letters) to her line manager and they passed them on to working group.

Friday at 11:00.

SJ Released

Submissions Friday at 11am

What are submissions, please?

They are the closing arguments from each side.

@AFieldGuideToTrees it is the write up of the KCs closing statements.

Summing up and closing statements on the case by each barrister.

It embarrasses me that these are women, professional adult women hoping to make their way up the greasy academic pole, and this is all about feelings. It's horribly familiar: my feelings, be kind, don't cause offence.... Where did the expectation come from that everyone in a department has to get on well together? They have to get on well enough to get the work done, that's all.

Please tell me I'm not alone in having worked relatively successfully over the years with a whole range of people including those I found difficult, those I strongly disagreed with and those I found it difficult to be in a room with. Grow a bloody spine you cowardly lot. Manage your feelings.

TT commentary

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1714663187264508166.html

Bens will include a polite version of liar liar pants on fire for quite a few witnesses.

I missed JM's X of Jo, so hearing her submissions will be interesting.

Thank you everyone. Will be interesting!

You’re not alone. Looking back there were situations that nowadays would be called bullying but I always got shoved in to deal with the “difficult” people because I didn’t take it personally that they were difficult so they didn’t phase me! And that was by my much more senior boss when I was relatively new graduate.

Did she say at the same time? I missed that.

They tend to be people with employment dispute experience, one from each 'side' if possible. So often a former union rep and then someone with an employer background.

I thought it was implicit that she meant right then she had several, but perhaps I misunderstood - not in the room.