The OU is responding to an Employment Tribunal claim which is centred on the rights of free speech and academic freedom, and their interaction with the freedom, safety, and inclusion of everyone in our University community.
Professor Josie Fraser, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at The Open University, said:
“We believe we have acted lawfully, in good faith and that the actions we took were appropriate. However, we are open to learning from the outcome of the Tribunal and we will welcome any clarity or guidance this may bring.
“We are committed to making The Open University a place where everyone can be themselves and achieve their goals. This ambition is central to our mission and is supported by the commitments and actions set out in our Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion plan.”
The Open University will not be commenting further on the specifics of the case whilst the Tribunal is ongoing.
Professor Josie Fraser, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at The Open University has recently written for WonkHE about the interaction between free speech, academic freedom and the freedom and inclusion of university communities.
