Watchdog criticises Oxford college over handling of dean dispute
by Harriet Sherwood, Guardian:
One of Oxford’s most venerable colleges has been severely criticised by the Charity Commission over mismanagement and misconduct in a long-running battle to oust its former head.
Christ Church, which was founded in 1546 and has educated 13 UK prime ministers and 17 archbishops, spent more than £6.6m in legal fees and public relations costs in its efforts to force out its dean, the Very Rev Martyn Percy.
The commission said the college, which has charitable status, had not managed resources responsibly and had not been accountable for its spending in what it described as a “very divisive internal dispute”.
The governing body’s three-and-a-half-year battle with Percy involved claims of scandalous behaviour, unsound judgment, avarice and sexual harassment. It ended last November in a settlement involving a payoff to the former dean.
The college also reimbursed Percy’s legal costs and agreed to an independent review of its governance.
The Charity Commission issued an official warning to the college, saying: “The commission has determined there has been mismanagement and/ or misconduct in the management and administration of the charity.”
The commission had “significant concerns” about how legal and other costs in connection with the dispute had risen to more than £6.6m. It found there were “inadequate internal controls and that the charity had not been transparent when asked about costs”.
The college submitted about 800 pages of evidence to rebut the allegations, it said.
Related Posts
Tags
Share This
