Sussex University fined £585k in free speech row

Record fine for UK university renews free speech row

A UK university was fined half-a-million pounds this week for its treatment of a professor accused of transphobia by students, rekindling a debate on freedom of speech in academic institutions.

Sussex University must ‘move on’ from free speech row after fine, academic says

Professor Kathleen Stock claims many ‘dim-witted’ and claustrophobic trans policies are still in place at universities.

I'm a lecturer - I used to love student debates, now I'm called 'triggering'

In 1984, as a first year student at Sussex University, I marched round campus carrying a placard, occupied the Arts C building and stood outside the Tory party conference at the Grand Hotel on the seafront shouting, “Maggie Maggie Maggie, out out out”. Sussex was proud of its openness, history of activism and encouraged speaking out and debate. Forty years later, the university has just been fined £585,000 for “failing to uphold freedom of speec…

Fortunes are changing in the culture war

University of Sussex to challenge £585,000 fine by regulator over transgender free speech case

The Office for Students (OfS) said the university's trans and non-binary equality policy statement had "a chilling effect" on students and staff. But the university has called the investigation "Kafkaesque" and does not believe the ruling is lawful.

University of Sussex fined £585k after teacher left following transphobia accusations

The University of Sussex has been fined £585,000 by the higher education regulator, the Office for Students (OfS) for failing to uphold freedom of speech. The OfS started investigating the University after Professor Kathleen Stock left in 2021 as she was accused of transphobia for her views on sex and gender issues. The OfS said the university’s policy statement on trans and non-binary equality, including a requirement to ‘positively represent t…