Joint Statement about the University of Essex
Rosa Freedman and Jo Phoenix
We are writing to make a public statement about the way the University of Essex has behaved towards us in the past three months.
We do not accept the public or private apologies to us from the University or Anthony Forster. In particular, we believe the second apology given to staff and students by Essex on 2 July 2021 fundamentally undermined the apologies given to us and the outcome of Akua Reindorf's report. We now believe the initial apology to be little more than a PR stunt.
We believe, after receiving expert legal advice, that we have a case against the University for potential breaches of the Education (No. 2) Act 1986, Equality Act 2010, and Human Rights Act 1998. We also believe Essex has repeatedly failed in its legal duties to secure our freedom of speech, and that of gender critical speakers generally, on its campus and has failed to act compatibly with our right to academic freedom.
However, we cannot take this case forward without putting our homes on the line and investing years of our time and energy. Essex knows that it has far more resources than we do; we have had enough.
Essex is threatening to release our personal data on Thursday. We do not have the resources to fight this potential breach of GDPR. We do not consent to our personal data being released.
During the course of the events described in the Reindorf report and beyond, we have felt bullied and harassed. Unfortunately, our only meaningful recourse is to speak publicly about our experience.
We welcome the introduction of the new free-to-use complaints scheme under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Bill but note the Office for Students would only be able to make non-binding recommendations. The new statutory tort will still involve academics putting their homes and wellbeing on the line to secure justice. At the very least, academics need access to the employment tribunal when challenging their employers for breaches of academic freedom and freedom of speech.
Professor Rosa Freedman
Professor Jo Phoenix
11 August 2021
You have my support if there's a crowdfunder!
I would support a crowdfunder but I know this also adds stress of a different kind. Yet Law is all we have. Essex is bent on a path toward humiliation of you both. To issue that (apparently contrite and profound) public apology to you, then immediately backtrack by telling the activists who kicked this all off that their hurt feelings are justified, and more than that, require address by going beyond the law is simply to flout Forstater and Reindorf. Releasing your private data is an astonishing act of aggression with intent to harm you.