The tribunal upheld claims by a former professor against her employer, the Open University of direct discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and constructive dismissal in relation to her gender critical beliefs.
In 2021, Professor Phoenix and others established a Gender Critical Research Network (GCRN), intended to be an academic research group promoting research into sex, gender, and sexualities from a gender critical perspective. As a result of this, she was harassed and directly discriminated by her colleagues.
The tribunal decided that Professor Phoenix was entitled to exercise her rights to demonstrate her beliefs by setting up and participating in the GCRN.
The University did not do enough to protect Professor Phoenix from harm. It failed to produce an outcome for her grievance and refused to take down certain online statements. This constituted as harassment and the decision to terminate the grievance process after she had left was evidence of post-employment victimisation.
