Who believe
Meanwhile in good news –
Open University academic wins tribunal case over gender-critical views
A professor of criminology, who was compared with “a racist uncle at the Christmas table” because of her gender critical beliefs, has won an unfair dismissal claim against the Open University.
Prof Jo Phoenix, a lesbian who set up the Gender Critical Research Network (GCRN) at the OU, was also found to have suffered victimisation and harassment, as well as direct discrimination.
She becomes the latest in a series of gender critical feminists, who believe sex is biological, immutable and should be prioritised over gender identity, to win employment tribunals.
“Should be prioritised over gender identity” is a funny way of putting it. Gender idenniny is irrelevant to sex. It’s like saying sex should be prioritized over lipstick. Lipstick isn’t the same kind of thing as sex! Sex is more than accessories.
Phoenix resigned from the OU in December 2021. The tribunal found that she was constructively unfairly dismissed because the university breached the implied terms of trust and confidence in her employment contract and the duty to provide her with a suitable working environment. Remedies will be determined at a later date.
Hurry up.
Ah, you’ve seen the news. I’ve just posted a piece on the Miscellany Room page.
There’s some stunningly blunt judge-speak in the judgement:§152: “We considered all the Respondent’s witnesses’ evidence who were asked about this point and found all the witnesses to be evasive and resistant to providing the truth to the Tribunal. We simply did not believe Dr Downes, Dr Boukli, Dr Bowes-Catton or Dr Williams’ evidence on this point…”
Somehow I don’t think the Open University will be appealing. If the institution retains any integrity it will launch disciplinary proceedings as these staff would hardly have debased it more if they’d demanded bribes from students.
Wow, that’s got to sting. Brilliant.
I say often that gender identity is a typical bait and switch for sex.