Professor Alice Sullivan threatens legal action against the University of Bristol

[WarriorN]

University threatened with legal action after protest at academic's talk https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyx3y84ln9o

Why do I get the feeling that Jolyon Maugham would love nothing more than for JKR to beat down his door and “sue” him? Sue him good and hard 🙄

Anyway, it’s good of him to publicise Prof Sullivan’s case, good luck to her.

He has no shame ol Maugham. Criticising Sullivan for being "so uncomfortable" when he blocks anyone (including me) on twitter for saying anything that doesn't fully affirm his opinions.

Also reported in the Times now:
https://www.thetimes.com/article/630f6513-d18d-4476-9579-6f446631182f?shareToken=21926076a814332c62c6e06f6347b5a8

It's good she's got the OfS on the case - they took no nonsense from Sussex, did they? £585k fine, and the VC who was very cross about it at the time seems to have piped down.

If UoB are also sanctioned, it will send out a signal to unis that belated performative condemnation and hand-wringing isn't good enough.

If you’re reading: thank you Alice.

Sometimes I worry about Jolyon. If he isn't careful, he's going to harrumph himself to death.

I had never heard of Prof Alice until I put the radio on this morning whilst I made my packed lunch. I thought she was great and explained what happened and her positive very clearly. Well done Alice!

oh I didn’t know that, very interesting

Like @Diversmattressi also went to the talk. There were only about 15-20 protesters, all in masks but they still allowed they to film those arriving, shout abuse, bang on windows, climb on the building and disrupt the event. It was ridiculous! The security people in the room were great but the university was clearly loathed to put boundaries on its students - they came across as spoilt brats. Why on earth do they wear masks?! What are they afraid of?

I'm adding this here rather than starting a new thread, as it is related.

A professor was suspended after defending a gender-critical academic from accusations of “transphobia”.

Prof Gordon first invited Prof Sullivan to speak at Bristol in July 2024, which prompted the university’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network to object, saying: “We would like to raise an objection to this event, which is giving a platform at our university to a member of the academic community who has been noted for her transphobia views and statements.

“This kind of speaker and event causes real and enduring harm to our community.”

Prof David Gordon said it was in the “interests” of staff and students at the University of Bristol to hear from Prof Alice Sullivan after he invited her to give a talk in November 2024.

The Russell Group university’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network had claimed Prof Sullivan, of University College London, was guilty of “transphobia” and would cause “real and enduring harm” if allowed to speak.

But when Prof Gordon, Bristol’s professor of social justice, responded to their concerns via email, he was suspended because his manager had told him not to do so.

(Despite the investigation having concluded, the academic remains suspended on full pay.)

Original article https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/17/academic-suspended-defend-gender-critical-speaker-bristol/
And in full at https://archive.is/rvfNP

I'm not doing a whataboutthemenz comment, but do wonder how many around the country have been left in a limbo like this.

Whilst it is great that some standing up to TRAs are getting recognitions how many others are there than none of us know about.

Needs a web site of page where people can list information if they are or were in a situation like this. Across areas of employment.

Setting off fire alarms for any other reason than alerting people to the presence of fire in the building is in itself very wrong.

In some circumstances it can be an offence - I think it's when the alarm system is linked directly to the local fire station.

But in all circumstances it is seriously wrong, and the Uni should be going after whoever did it, regardless of the context.

The reaction to a fire alarm going off should be
[1] get out of the building and go to a safe place
[2] work out whether it was a false alarm or not.

Setting off alarms like the TRAs did is dangerous because it desensitises people to the fact that it is a warning of potential danger - it encourages people to skip step 1 - getting out of the building immediately - and go straight to step 2, so they sit in the lecture theatre or wherever thinking 'Oh it's probably just a false alarm'.

Which is OK until the day is isn't OK, and people don't get out of a burning building because they assumed it was a false alarm..

Professor David Gordon hasn't been dismissed - presumably because what he did doesn't justify dismissal and he would be able to bring a successful legal claim against the university. But he is around retirement age and they seem to have decided just to keep him suspended permanently (after the end of the investigation process against him) in order to stop him from communicating with his university colleagues and students. He's forbidden from communicating with thousands of people in his local city and can't continue to practise his profession. As far as I can see there's no possible justification for this treatment and I really hope he brings a discrimination claim. They must be paying him his presumably largish salary for doing nothing, indefiinitely. Absolute madness and I'd love to see what they have to say at an employment tribunal. Is he in touch with the Free Speech Union?

Really don't like the sound of Bristiol Uni - their reaction to the student who dies by suicide a year or two ago was appalling

This may have been posted elsewhere but adding to this thread, although about universities across the UK (so maybe it should have its own thread?).

The poisonous truth about British universities
https://spectator.com/article/the-poisonous-truth-about-british-universities/ and https://archive.is/CQ7AW