University of Sussex fined £585,000 by Office for Students

[OhBuggerandArse]

The inquiry in the wake of Kathleen Stock's experience has finally been completed:

'An English university is set to be fined a record £585,000 over allegations it failed to uphold free speech and academic freedom, in a landmark ruling in the debate over student rights on campus. England’s higher education regulator found “significant and serious breaches” of free speech and governance issues at the University of Sussex, according to a draft press release seen by the Financial Times. The Office for Students press release, to be published on Wednesday, said policies intended to prevent abuse or harassment of certain groups on campus had created “a chilling effect” that might cause staff and students to “self-censor”.'

Sussex 'has reacted furiously...'

https://www.ft.com/content/d39f0db7-877a-4cf3-8c12-dd5581eecd0b?fbclid=IwY2xjawJP_1RleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVWF1ZXM3cKbxGAvtKfecgeMyAXNae5933M9a3dru0zohKTe7Vk24foIeA_aem_HpdtsUQc6ipMGY9J5AGFWQ

Can’t read the article sadly. Maybe they are furious, hopefully they can channel that energy into behaving better in the future.

Archive version: https://archive.ph/yHVnG

Original story https://www.ft.com/content/d39f0db7-877a-4cf3-8c12-dd5581eecd0b

Archive link https://archive.is/yHVnG

That's good news, they deserve to be repremanded after their appauling treatment of Kathleen Stock, the lack of free speech in Universities is a National disgrace.

I believe hahahahahahaha - breathe- hahahahahaha is the correct response

couldn’t have happened to a nicer university the spineless weasels

This is great news.

Good. Can the office for students now please turn their attention to the OU? In particular their dreadful behaviour towards Jo P and apparent total lack of willingness to do anything to change despite a fairly resounding judgement against them.

She added that the ruling made it now “virtually impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying

But Sussex didn't try to prevent the abuse, harassment or bullying of Dr Stock, did they? They sided with the cry bullies.

Good news

I'd like to see their workings. How
they justify that statement

Good. Serves them bloody well right. Anyone reading how the “protests” were conducted by balaclava-clad students waving flares, and how posters of guns were put up on campus will understand how horrific this must have been for Stock.

Now, if only the spineless weasels that are UCU could be held responsible for their failure to support her, too.

Does anyone know if they can appeal? The University doesn't seem in the least bit contrite

The university, ranked joint 26th out of 104 UK institutions in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024, has reacted furiously. Sasha Roseneil, the university’s vice-chancellor, said the regulator had decreed “free speech absolutism as the fundamental principle” for universities.

She seems to be equating that GC 'beliefs' (sex is real, immutable and sometimes it matters) with the nastier types of speech

...added that the ruling made it now “virtually impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying, to protect groups subject to harmful propaganda, or to determine that stereotyped assumptions should not be relied upon in the university curriculum”.

The group they notably failed to protect, the one 'subject to harmful propaganda' is the one commonly labelled 'terfs' and 'transphobic'.

Can anyone explain what she means by 'stereotyped assumptions'...etc?

I admit I had no idea this investigation was happening. Doc Stock, by not commenting, is showing class. I hope she has a glass of something nice, though I imagine it's bittersweet.

Bloody great news!

I've noticed something in two reports today, one on Coe and sex testing in women's athletics, and the other in this FT report:
in both cases, Trump was quoted - Vance in the FT - with little justification, as the issues of keeping males out of women's sports, and free speech in universities were not invented by Trump, both cases were running before his re-election.

So the news sources have to report these welcome GC victories, but they can't help themselves, they have to add a little dash of Trumpian guilt by association...😠

Couldn't have happened to nicer people.

It's astonishing how universities seem to have collectively forgotten what the purpose of an actual university is in their pursuit of wokeness.

Well, the Adult Human Female case against UCU starts on the 31st, so watch that space!

I note in the list of 'policies to prevent abuse, harassment and bullying' misogynistic bullying and /or sexual harassment is somehow absent despite it being known to be a pretty common form of abuse.

They certainly allowed a lot of bullying of KS for a Uni so keen to prevent bullying.

I know we should be used to institutions using weasel words that are the exact opposite of their actions by now but the bloody gall of the VC to act all outraged that they didn't get away with the bullying of Stock and claiming being held to account is somehow going to make bullying worse is quite something.

Looking forward to the next large fine....

Hopeful that the final version of this leaked press release is widely reported in the press tomorrow and is as in the FT news.

At a time when universities are laying off staff in large numbers, being faced with possibly very large fines and substantial legal fees should - surely - give pause for thought. Especially if - as reported here - Arif Ahmed the Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom at the Office for Students says (my emphasis) 'the fine imposed on Sussex had been “significantly discounted” because this was the first case of its kind, adding that the OfS had decided to publish its findings to enable other universities to comply with their free speech duties.'

That feels like a warning shot over the bows of universities who might follow on if they carry on as currently?

All credit to the Office of Students for recognizing the level of fine required to actually change things.

Having said that, it's disturbing the level of legal fees Unis seem willing to rack up just to try and stop women saying biological sex is real and matters. Perhaps they are prone to magical thinking and denial of reality when it comes to finances as well as biology?

Oh.

Sussex argues that universities are now exposed to regulatory risk if they have policies that protect staff and students from racist, homophobic, antisemitic, anti-Muslim or other abuse.

They need to keep up! Their failure to do so is what's landed them the fine!

to determine that stereotyped assumptions should not be relied upon in the university curriculum”.

Stereotyped assumptions? Like, that each sex has a person-type that matches it?

Excellent news. Well done OfS for showing some teeth 💪

Perhaps they can pretend it identifies as a £200 fine and see what happens when they attempt to pay it.

Excellent news. The tide is definitely turning and the bullies, liars and deluded are finally having to face the consequences of their actions. It’s bloody brilliant watching their downfall, one by one.