by Nicola Woolcock, The Times
Documents about equality policies have been taken down from websites after the Office for Students imposed £585,000 penalty over the treatment of Kathleen Stock
Universities are reviewing transgender equality policies after the University of Sussex was handed a record fine from the higher education regulator.
Documents relating to the treatment of trans students and staff have been taken down or are being updated after the Office for Students (OfS) fined the University of Sussex for breaching free speech.
Its investigation sprang from the treatment of Kathleen Stock, a former professor at the university, who was forced to resign after harassment over her views on sex and gender. She said many colleagues ostracised her or failed to speak up.
After the fine of £585,000 was announced, Stock said that several other universities still held the same policies as Sussex. Arif Ahmed, the OfS’s director of free speech, said Sussex’s trans and non-binary equality policy statement meant that students or staff wishing to express or discuss lawful views, including gender-critical views, could have been concerned about breaching that policy and facing potential disciplinary action.
This policy required academics to “positively represent trans people and trans lives” in relevant course materials.
Now several institutions appear to have reviewed their policies, according to Times Higher Education.