Open University agrees a settlement with Jo Phoenix

[Ofcourseshecan]

Jo Phoenix sent out an update today:

Update on Harassed, silenced & compared to a racist for my gender critical views

Dear All

The Open University and I have agreed a settlement. My legal case against them has now come to a conclusion. I am relieved that there is no need for a remedies hearing. As you know, the panel found in my favour.

I am sad that it took nearly 5 years of my life, over £230K and an employment tribunal to establish what I knew all along which is simply this:

Gender affirmative academics need to stop acting unlawfully when it comes to gender critical academics. I would add - they need to grow up and start acting like professionals instead of students playing union politics. There could be legal consequences.

Gender affirmative claims about the 'harms' of our beliefs do not justify their hostility towards us in our workplace and do not stand up in a court of law.

University managers - from VC level down - need to act to protect us against the lies, bullying and harassment of our colleagues. Harassment, discrimination and bullying is not academic debate or free speech and it is our managers' responsibilities to set the tone in universities.

Thank you to every one of you who followed, who donated and who supported me. I know you would have supported me through a remedies hearing, and I am pleased that I do not have to ask for your support again.

My final words in this update belong to Annie Powell. Thank you. I hope I never need an employment lawyer again but if I do, I know whose door I’ll be knocking on.
I am doing various talks at other universities. If you are able to come to one of them, please introduce yourself to me.

Signing out

Jo Phoenix.

The Phoenix rises!! Well done her.

But she shouldn't have been put through all that 😡

Big thank-you to Annie Powell and everyone who helped Jo win this five-year-long battle. Including all of us who dug deep for her.

I hope this means Jo will receive enormous compensation for the stress and grief they put her though. Though no amount of compensation will give her back those five years, or reverse the damage this kind of persecution does to the victim's health and wellbeing.

Jo, you're a heroine for our times.

What a dignified and reasonable statement from Jo. Thank you @Ofcourseshecan for posting.

So sad. Fighting takes its toll.

Thank you for the update.

Jo is so dignified.

A very dignified response by a woman who stood firm against an organisation which showed its appalling true colours. I hope that she is very well compensated and that everyone who was complicit in breaking the law here hang their heads in shame and reflect upon what they have become. Well done Jo, you’re an inspiration to all women who refuse to bow down to these bullies.

So is the OU safe for women now ?

Thanks from me too.

Glad you hear this and hope it's a significant amount as I've went to tribunal court to observe and the mental stress this caused was obviously immense.

Some folk are brave enough to take wrongs to task and make history.

Jo is one of the few and she is not going anywhere yet.

Go Jo !!!!!

Congratulations to Jo and Annie. Five long years. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. We owe you such gratitude and I sincerely wish you all the very best.💐

HoneyButterPopcorn
So is the OU safe for women now?

AFAIK, Pilgrim Tucker still has an ongoing case.

As they say, the punishment is the process.

I would really like to know if those appalling, craven, moronic colleagues Jo Phoenix had the misfortune to work with (Downes, Drake, Westmarland and Starkey - we remember your names) will be censured or hopefully sacked from their jobs. I mean, the EAT judge described more than one of them as not credible witnesses, and “did not accept” their various statements of evidence - that’s legalese for Bloody Liar…. Why should any of them still be accepted as part of the professor brigade? They are a disgrace in every way.

I'm glad there is a settlement that Jo is happy to accept and that has ended this awful process.

The punishment is the process needs to be out loud and out there. So many public bodies (I use the term generally) have learned to use the law in the hopes that people drop their claims. Even though the majority of GC cases are won, this is really not stopping this underhand way of browbeating their opposition. Will they continue until all our cash is gone? After all, they can just plead poverty to the government to fill up their coffers?

Excellent Jo, but I'm still so very very angry.

Well done Jo Phoenix and Annie Powell!
If a man wishes to live a feminine lifestyle or a woman live a masculine one, then no problem, let them live as they wish.

BUT, I do have one proviso, DO NOT scare the horses and what has this old carthorse kicking in the traces is when they insist that they REALLY, REALLY ARE the opposite sex.
And, when they and their supporters insist that other people MUST comply with their delusions, then I'm kicking the bloody stable door down.

I need to do one more module to complete my OU degree. I’m most interested in the Psychology module but it has a reference to gender issues. I wonder if they’re revising whatever module materials they use.