Where did the adults go?

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

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. An investigation concluded in March 2025 that he had failed to “follow reasonable management instructions” and nine months on he remains suspended.

Well that’s what universities are for, right? Sorting through which ideas we get to discuss and which we don’t?

Gordon is considering suing the university.

“I’d like them to apologise for violating my right to freedom of speech and academic freedom, and not protecting me from discrimination,” he told The Telegraph. “I think you should obey reasonable management instructions, such as marking. But being told to not discuss academic issues is just not reasonable.”

It’s like telling a grocery store not to talk about food.

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.”

In the same way laws cause real and enduring harm to criminals, and fire departments cause real and enduring harm to arsonists.

The Committee for Academic Freedom (CAF) is writing to the University of Bristol to seek clarification on Prof Gordon’s suspension and its implications for academic freedom.

“The length of Professor Gordon’s ongoing suspension is hard to square with a proportionate response,” said Freddie Attenborough, its research manager. “And when it arises in the context of his attempt to address complaints from the university’s LGBTQ+ staff network about supposedly ‘harmful’ gender-critical views being heard on campus, the message to other academics is obvious: steer clear of controversy – and leave the hard questions to those least interested in evidence.”

Well, you have to admit, it simplifies things.

Prof Sullivan said: “Activists make accusations of ‘transphobia’ against anyone who acknowledges the material reality of sex. Universities should treat this tactic with the derision it deserves. The idea that a highly respected senior professor cannot reach out to colleagues to discuss a contentious issue without management reprimand speaks volumes.”

And not the good kind of volumes.