Latest news with #TransandNon-BinaryEqualityPolicyStatement
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fining Kathleen Stock's university does not protect free speech
The University of Sussex has been fined £585,000 by the higher-education regulator, the Office for Students, for its handling of the resignation of Professor Kathleen Stock. The OfS claims that the university was in breach of 'our free speech and academic freedom requirements' and also found fault with 'the university's management and governance practices'. Specifically, the OfS criticised the university's Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement, which it said had created a 'chilling effect' for staff and students who felt unable to voice gender-critical opinions. Some are heralding this news as a free-speech victory: a public recognition of the disgraceful treatment of Stock by the university is indeed welcome, as even now many fail to see why the whole debacle was so damning for free speech on campus and personally distressing for her. This kind of external intervention by a regulator is needed, some argue, and they welcome the new powers the OfS might enjoy following the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act. I am not cheering, though, despite being a free-speech absolutist. Sussex was my alma mater, and believe me, the problem with censorious behaviour long predates the Stock affair. The trans issue was just starting to crop up on campus in my second year; friends of mine were being ostracised from the leftie pools we all swam in for being perplexed with the demand that 'trans women were women'. By the end of my time there, Judith Butler may as well have been handing out the handshakes at our graduation ceremony. Among both staff and students there were political biases that were hard to challenge for fear of being stigmatised. The OfS claim that censorship was a top-down imposition by policies is at best generous, at worst inaccurate – the problem with free speech on campus runs much deeper. It's for this reason that fines and legal wrangling is not the solution for those of us who care about fighting censorship. Free speech has long been in crisis on campus. You could crack that nut with fines and legislation, court rulings and government finger-wagging. But state supervision of universities is not going to solve the campus censorship crisis, nor is it something true freedom lovers should be comfortable with. Take the response from Sussex University's vice-chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil, who has managed to turn the ruling into a fight about minority rights. 'We will strongly contest these findings and have grave concerns about the implications of its decisions for students and staff, especially those from minoritised groups', she wrote in an article for Politics Home. The university's response to the ruling was to argue that it will now be all but 'impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying on campuses'. Such histrionic blindness to the issue at hand shows how deep the rot goes when it comes to campus censorship. Things are changing – and not thanks to ministers or regulators. Instead, what has opened up a chink of light for discussion about free speech on campus is individuals sticking their neck on the line. The trans issue has been the most influential in both escalating and challenging a culture of conformity on campus. Ever since women like Stock, or Jo Phoenix, went public, it has shone a spotlight on the inadequacy of our universities when it comes to defending free expression. Free speech can't be imposed; it has to be the foundation of a university from which everything else follows. We need to win the battle of ideas on campus – that means more students involved in fighting for free speech by holding public discussions and standing up for their peers to disagree with them on contentious issues. It means staff rediscovering their mettle and refusing to be bullied by administrative bodies waving policy documents. And finally, change will also have to come from outside the campus walls, where the censorious cry of 'you can't say that' just doesn't wash anymore. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Fining Kathleen Stock's university does not protect free speech
The University of Sussex has been fined £585,000 by the higher-education regulator, the Office for Students, for its handling of the resignation of Professor Kathleen Stock. The OfS claims that the university was in breach of 'our free speech and academic freedom requirements' and also found fault with 'the university's management and governance practices'. Specifically, the OfS criticised the university's Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement, which it said had created a 'chilling effect' for staff and students who felt unable to voice gender-critical opinions. Some are heralding this news as a free-speech victory: a public recognition of the disgraceful treatment of Stock by the university is indeed welcome, as even now many fail to see why the whole debacle was so damning for free speech on campus and personally distressing for her. This kind of external intervention by a regulator is needed, some argue, and they welcome the new powers the OfS might enjoy following the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act. I am not cheering, though, despite being a free-speech absolutist. Sussex was my alma mater, and believe me, the problem with censorious behaviour long predates the Stock affair. The trans issue was just starting to crop up on campus in my second year; friends of mine were being ostracised from the leftie pools we all swam in for being perplexed with the demand that 'trans women were women'. By the end of my time there, Judith Butler may as well have been handing out the handshakes at our graduation ceremony. Among both staff and students there were political biases that were hard to challenge for fear of being stigmatised. The OfS claim that censorship was a top-down imposition by policies is at best generous, at worst inaccurate – the problem with free speech on campus runs much deeper. It's for this reason that fines and legal wrangling is not the solution for those of us who care about fighting censorship. Free speech has long been in crisis on campus. You could crack that nut with fines and legislation, court rulings and government finger-wagging. But state supervision of universities is not going to solve the campus censorship crisis, nor is it something true freedom lovers should be comfortable with. Take the response from Sussex University's vice-chancellor Professor Sasha Roseneil, who has managed to turn the ruling into a fight about minority rights. 'We will strongly contest these findings and have grave concerns about the implications of its decisions for students and staff, especially those from minoritised groups', she wrote in an article for Politics Home. The university's response to the ruling was to argue that it will now be all but 'impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying on campuses'. Such histrionic blindness to the issue at hand shows how deep the rot goes when it comes to campus censorship. Things are changing – and not thanks to ministers or regulators. Instead, what has opened up a chink of light for discussion about free speech on campus is individuals sticking their neck on the line. The trans issue has been the most influential in both escalating and challenging a culture of conformity on campus. Ever since women like Stock, or Jo Phoenix, went public, it has shone a spotlight on the inadequacy of our universities when it comes to defending free expression. Free speech can't be imposed; it has to be the foundation of a university from which everything else follows. We need to win the battle of ideas on campus – that means more students involved in fighting for free speech by holding public discussions and standing up for their peers to disagree with them on contentious issues. It means staff rediscovering their mettle and refusing to be bullied by administrative bodies waving policy documents. And finally, change will also have to come from outside the campus walls, where the censorious cry of 'you can't say that' just doesn't wash anymore.
The Independent
26-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
University fined £585,000 for failing to uphold free speech
The University of Sussex has been fined £585,000 after an investigation found it had failed to uphold freedom of speech. The investigation by the Office for Students (OfS) found documents which govern university policy also failed to safeguard academic freedom, as well as finding failings in the management and governance of the university. It was launched following protests calling for the dismissal of senior academic Professor Kathleen Stock in 2021 after she was accused of transphobia. Professor Stock faced protests on the campus after publishing a book on gender identity, an experience she told the BBC was like a 'surreal anxiety dream'. She resigned her position at the university in 2021. The university's vice-chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil, said the university would legally challenge the OfS's findings. The OfS report found no evidence Professor Stock said anything unlawful during her time at the university and concluded its 'Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement failed to uphold the freedom of speech and academic freedom public interest governance principles' required by the watchdog. It also found the university did not have 'adequate and effective management and governance arrangements' in place and that the shortcomings led to a 'chilling effect' with staff and students potentially self-censoring certain views. Arif Ahmed, director for freedom of speech and academic freedom at the OfS, said: 'Free speech is a fundamentally important aspect of our successful and vibrant higher education sector. All universities and colleges have a duty to protect academic freedom and to take steps to secure freedom of speech within the law. 'So it is right that we investigate where we have concerns that students may not be benefiting from the free and robust exchange of ideas, or that academics are not able to teach or research what they choose.' He said the university had made 'significant and serious breaches' of the OfS's requirements and the penalties were 'appropriate for the scale of wrongdoing we found'. Professor Roseneil warned of the implications of the report's outcome for the wider higher education sector. 'The OfS's findings mean that it is now virtually impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying on our campuses,' she said. 'It means universities cannot protect groups subject to harmful propaganda or determine that stereotyped assumptions should not be relied upon in the university curriculum. 'The OfS is effectively decreeing libertarian free speech absolutism as the fundamental principle for UK universities. In our view, the OfS is perpetuating the culture wars.' She criticised the way the three-and-a-half year investigation was conducted, saying nobody employed by the university was interviewed. 'The circumstances around Professor Stock's departure from the University of Sussex are deeply regrettable,' she said. 'Sussex has consistently and publicly defended her right to pursue her academic work and to express her gender critical beliefs. 'Academic freedom and freedom of speech are the foundational elements of a university, and the university is committed to ensuring that diversity in all its forms, particularly diversity of thought and identity, are able to flourish at Sussex.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said free speech and academic freedom were 'non-negotiables' in universities and 'robust action will be taken' if they are not upheld. 'If you go to university you must be prepared to have your views challenged, hear contrary opinions and be exposed to uncomfortable truths,' she said. 'We are giving the OfS stronger powers on freedom of speech so students and academics are not muzzled by the chilling effect demonstrated in this case. 'Through our Plan for Change we will restore the integrity of our universities as rigorous centres of intellectual debate, sparking new ideas that will cement their status as engines of growth and opportunity.' The OfS is the independent regulator for higher education in England.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University fined £585,000 following free speech investigation
The University of Sussex has been fined £585,000 after an investigation found it had failed to uphold freedom of speech. The investigation by the Office for Students (OfS) found documents which govern university policy also failed to safeguard academic freedom, as well as finding failings in the management and governance of the university. It was launched following protests calling for the dismissal of senior academic Professor Kathleen Stock in 2021 after she was accused of transphobia. Professor Stock faced protests on the campus after publishing a book on gender identity, an experience she told the BBC was like a 'surreal anxiety dream'. She resigned her position at the university in 2021. The university's vice-chancellor, Professor Sasha Roseneil, said the university would legally challenge the OfS's findings. The OfS report found no evidence Professor Stock said anything unlawful during her time at the university and concluded its 'Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement failed to uphold the freedom of speech and academic freedom public interest governance principles' required by the watchdog. It also found the university did not have 'adequate and effective management and governance arrangements' in place and that the shortcomings led to a 'chilling effect' with staff and students potentially self-censoring certain views. Arif Ahmed, director for freedom of speech and academic freedom at the OfS, said: 'Free speech is a fundamentally important aspect of our successful and vibrant higher education sector. All universities and colleges have a duty to protect academic freedom and to take steps to secure freedom of speech within the law. 'So it is right that we investigate where we have concerns that students may not be benefiting from the free and robust exchange of ideas, or that academics are not able to teach or research what they choose.' He said the university had made 'significant and serious breaches' of the OfS's requirements and the penalties were 'appropriate for the scale of wrongdoing we found'. Professor Roseneil warned of the implications of the report's outcome for the wider higher education sector. 'The OfS's findings mean that it is now virtually impossible for universities to prevent abuse, harassment or bullying on our campuses,' she said. 'It means universities cannot protect groups subject to harmful propaganda or determine that stereotyped assumptions should not be relied upon in the university curriculum. 'The OfS is effectively decreeing libertarian free speech absolutism as the fundamental principle for UK universities. In our view, the OfS is perpetuating the culture wars.' She criticised the way the three-and-a-half year investigation was conducted, saying nobody employed by the university was interviewed. 'The circumstances around Professor Stock's departure from the University of Sussex are deeply regrettable,' she said. 'Sussex has consistently and publicly defended her right to pursue her academic work and to express her gender critical beliefs. 'Academic freedom and freedom of speech are the foundational elements of a university, and the university is committed to ensuring that diversity in all its forms, particularly diversity of thought and identity, are able to flourish at Sussex.' Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said free speech and academic freedom were 'non-negotiables' in universities and 'robust action will be taken' if they are not upheld. 'If you go to university you must be prepared to have your views challenged, hear contrary opinions and be exposed to uncomfortable truths,' she said. 'We are giving the OfS stronger powers on freedom of speech so students and academics are not muzzled by the chilling effect demonstrated in this case. 'Through our Plan for Change we will restore the integrity of our universities as rigorous centres of intellectual debate, sparking new ideas that will cement their status as engines of growth and opportunity.' The OfS is the independent regulator for higher education in England and Wales.
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Kathleen Stock's former university fined record £585k for failing to uphold free speech
Kathleen Stock's former university has been fined £585,000 after it was found to have 'failed to uphold' freedom of speech and academic freedom. In a landmark ruling, the Office for Students (OfS) found that 'a chilling effect arose' from the University of Sussex's transgender policy which left staff and students feeling 'self-censored' and unable to express 'lawful views.' The higher education regulator said an investigation found 'significant and serious breaches' of free speech and governance issues at the institution. The probe was prompted by the resignation of Prof Kathleen Stock, an expert in analytic philosophy, from the University of Sussex in October 2021 after she faced death threats for her gender-critical beliefs. At the time, students erected posters around campus and called on the university to dismiss her. An investigation was launched following protests for Prof Stock's dismissal and it found on Wednesday there was 'no evidence to suggest that Prof Stock's speech during her employment at the university was unlawful'. It said the university's Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement had a 'chilling effect' on staff and students alike which meant that they 'self-censored' and did 'not speak about or express certain lawful views.' 'Staff and students may have self-censored as a result of the policy because they were concerned about being in breach of the policy and potentially facing disciplinary action for expressing lawful views,' the OfS said. It added that Prof Stock was an example of the 'chilling effect', finding she 'became more cautious' about her statements about gender while at the university. 'An example of this chilling effect materialising in practice is the experience of Professor Stock while at the university,' an OfS statement said. 'Prof Stock said that she became more cautious in her expression of gender critical views as a result of the policy. 'There were some views she did not feel able to express, and therefore teach, despite those views being lawful. Other staff and students may have felt similarly unable to express these, or other, lawful views.' Prof Stock is now a founding fellow at the University of Austin, a new 'anti-cancel culture' university that welcomes academics treated like 'thought criminals'. She said at the time that she did not wish to return to a British university since they all have 'people like those at Sussex, who've got a light in their eyes, who want social justice according to a very narrow conception that does not involve employing me'. The investigation also found that the university 'may not have complied, or acted compatibly, with some of these legal obligations in relation to the Trans and Non-Binary Equality Policy Statement'. Commenting on the investigation, Arif Ahmed, Director for Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom at the OfS, said: 'These are significant and serious breaches of the OfS's requirements. Substantial monetary penalties are appropriate for the scale of wrongdoing we have found.' He added: ''Our investigation also found deficiencies in the University of Sussex's decision-making process, with decisions about important free speech and equality matters taken by people without the authority to do so. Those decisions may not have been in the best interests of students and staff.' Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at human rights charity Sex Matters, told The Telegraph: 'This decision will send shockwaves through university senior leadership teams across the UK. 'For too long, many vice-chancellors have calculated that it is safer and easier to permit trans activists to dictate policies and hound their opponents, rather than standing up for evidence-based research and academic freedom. Their cowardice has exposed academics who reject the fringe belief that gender identity overrides sex to bullying and unlawful discrimination by ideological, intolerant colleagues. 'It is gratifying to see Professor Kathleen Stock vindicated after sustained bullying and harassment drove her out of her job at Sussex University.' The Financial Times reported that Sussex believes 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. Sasha Roseneil, vice-chancellor of the University of Sussex, told the FT that the fine was 'wholly disproportionate' and that the university had defended Prof Stock's right to express 'lawful beliefs'. She said the ruling made it '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'. She claimed the regulator had decreed 'free speech absolutism as the fundamental principle' for universities.
