Prof Jo Phoenix vs The OU - Employment Tribunal Thread 8

[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

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.

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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
CT - Catherine Tomlinson, Senior Student Advisor
DD - Dr Deborah Drake, Senior Lecturer Criminology, Head of SPC 2018-21😇
SD - Shaun Daley, Head OU’s Resourcing Hub. Head Strategic Resources, Co-Chair OU’s LGBT+ Staff Network
SJ - Samantha Jacobson, Employee Relations Case Manager
NS - Nicola Snarey, Assoc Lecturer Eng Language - This witness did not give evidence.

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

Thread 7
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/4922765-prof-jo-phoenix-vs-the-ou-employment-tribunal-thread-7

JM has to find something to say. It is not her fault that the witnesses were a shower of shit.

So LD can ask for a trans network to help people connect but JP can't have an actual research network

Is JM bringing in unheard 'evidence' to closing?

Sounds of barrel being scraped methinks what with out of time and a long time ago

JM is holding Jo to a different standard - she's not allow to complain about anything but the others can have freedom to do as they please.

And I know she has to make a case but there's no need to read Jo's email in a sneering voice

@ickky It is not her fault that the witnesses were a shower of shit.

And no right minded person would buy a used car from them.

Yes, she’s saying Academic Freedom means academics are free to bully and it’s allowed as long as the OU doesn’t give in to them and discriminate.

How come the T staff can have their own network, but no one else can??

JM: we have two stories. JP story told to the world at the time. We have the real world of JP feelings and intentions and motivations. Classic eg - Feb 2021 - email to LBGT re history month. DDownes sends email cos EDI lead but email is from the group. All it asks for is a new OU t group. And a pronouns campaign so colleagues across OU could feel inc and supported.

JM: Same day - JP emails emails IF with subject 'heads up' and says a few people are q upset by DDownes msg. Ask where is the L in LGBT in history month and pronoun campaign. This arises from GCRN members talking among themselves. IF is a friend and supporter of JP.

[JM is showing difference between JP saying this kind of thing 'broke my mind' and the attitude she shows when communicating between her own people - eg making trouble.]

Ah, we’re now reaching the stage of saying Jo is mad and simultaneously lying about the impact on her mental health.

To clarify. They’re going with the OU didn’t discriminate against Jo, it was just some minor, out of time incidents by individuals that are covered by FoS and AC so the OU couldn’t step in when Jo tried to get them to shut down the discriminatory bullying perfectly legitimate debate.

have I got that right?

JM: JP's campaigning position is someone trying to achieve things. She fights back, venomously on occasion, agst those who disagree with her.

Would Jo P have had any idea how many people were likely to have been invited to the "surprise conference" that got shelved?

16 sounds like rather a lot of speakers to me.

I could forgive 'I said 7, but it was 10, but 17!!!!'

(DH driving, so I am catching up)

JM going out of her way to quote JP's salty language in private messages.

And we would have gotten away with it too if it hadn't been for that pesky woman

Complete with a snippy tone of voice.

I think she is trying to imply that Jo has calculated to cause a load of trouble and deliberately kick up a fuss, and that this whole thing is effectively Jo being malicious.

JM going out of her way to quote JP's salty language in private messages.

I'm sure two could play at that game.

I so wish I was actually listening to this.

JM: c GCRN launch remember it was a launch to the world. There is a difference between the public JP and the private JP. What is really her reaction to the open letter? BC accused OU witnesses, but the person who is most capable of hyberbole and overstatement is JP, forgive me.

Oh my god - she was intending to achieve things.

Jo's a monster.

Isn't this a lot of victim blaming here? Jo is a bad person because she stood up for herself and got angry and used nasty language?

All research networks are open they are there to connect people that's the point

JM: Harassment. If JP didn't really feel harassed about this thing, then that's it over [ie no case]

Am I getting this right, a few people organising and submitting individual complaints re pronouns campaign is not ok but writing, circulating and signing an open letter calling for discrimination against GCRN and GCs is fine and dandy?

And of course the only way they know is that JP disclosed whatsapps whereas all the OUs sides whatsapps mysteriously disappeared down a well.