Phoenix v The Open University

[JoPhoenix]

Hi everyone. This week marks the first anniversary of my tribunal in Watford. You mumnetters helped keep my sane with your commentary on here.

To celebrate 1 year of OU tom-foolery, including the publication of the Dandridge whitewash, oh sorry, I meant report, I'm publishing all the evidence in chief (IE witness statements) and opening and closing arguments on my substack.

Yesterday it was the arguments
Today it is Avi Boukli, Ian Fribbance and two other. You'll remember Avi (they thought my research network would stop the OU providing gender non binary toilets and pronoun capture). You might also remember Ian - my Dean who was surprised that I lacked resilience.

Enjoy!

https://open.substack.com/pub/jophoenix/p/anniversaries-and-all-that?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=mt0ab

J

Lots of love and solidarity to you. xx

Thank you for sharing x

Not all heroes wear capes. Some have rather natty specs 👓 😎

💜

Thank you, Jo. This time last year feels like another lifetime! Every time I read something about your case I feel the simmering fury that is now constantly in me threaten to boil over. Observing your hearing changed my relationship with academia forever. I am so grateful to you for standing up to the bullying!

Congratulations on your fantastic victory. Hope the new job at Reading is working out well. At least the TRAs will know not to mess around with you!

@JoPhoenix Do you think that the world of Universities has changed for the better or not?
What about the law that would have made Unis do more to ensure free speech? Now cancelled by Labour Govt or postponed?

I love this comment.

Changed my relationship forever too - well no it didn't. I still hold on to the idea that universities can be marvellous places and that they are central to democracy. Sadly, I have no hope for OU for at least another generation, if they survive another generation.

Reading is an utterly fabulous place. I have never felt to professionally supported. The VC is an extraordinary man who genuinely cares about the crisis in academic freedom. What's not to love about a university with a leader like that?

Wow. That's a big question. I think the politics are changing. Whereas in 2018, only a handful of us were prepared to put our names to a letter to the editor (penned by Kath Stock), now we have several lobbying organisations - CAF, AFAF and local chapters of each. Change happens slowly but I suspect post Phoenix-v-OU, VC's might not be so keen to sweep under the carpet endemic bullying cases. I dunno. It's less than a year since the judgment. Time will tell.

I also followed your tribunal, every day. I follow you on X too and enjoy your updates. I still get riled when I read anything that bloody Sally Hines says.

Thank you for this @JoPhoenix

Thank you, Jo, so very much. I work at a university and I'm so grateful to you.

It is good to know that there are other lobbying groups. Thank You.

I'm sorry for all you had to go through but thankful that you decided to fight back. Thanks a million 👏👍😁🫡

You should never have had to make the world a better place for women, but you absolutely have. Thank you

Thank you Jo.

Great to hear you are happy in Reading, and they are so lucky to have you

Thank you, that's my weekend reading sorted. If the written statements are anything like the guff they came out with on the day, I may need to have a stiff drink to hand. Or a suture kit to repair my sides.

I'm so glad Reading's working out for you.

Happy anniversary, and thank you. Such a lot for one person to have to go through; your courage and determination is appreciated. X

Since you're reading the messages here, Jo, I'm going to quote myself from another thread so you don't miss my OTT compliment
MarieDeGournay · 25/09/2024 18:30
There's one that says when you burn a HP book, 'a phoenix rises from the ashes'..
and there was me thinking that the legendary Prof. Jo had just been born in the usual way

Thanks Jo, so glad Reading is treating you well. Here's to a future in which vulnerable autistic children aren't sterilised and women who protest are treated with dignity and respect.

How absolutely lovely. Thank you. Yeah I'll be hanging around on this thread for a couple of weeks. It's a fitting way to honour Mumsnet I think for all the support. Xx

I feel honoured that you're hanging around for a bit! Your case sent waves through academia. People are nothing like so confident any more that "trans rights" are a blanket excuse for bad behaviour. Thank you!