Thread by @tribunaltweets

Resuming after the second morning break. Part 3 of 6 October morning.
JM - GCRN message from the VC, given the strength of views and distress on all sides, we cannot abandon our trans students, we need recognise the legal duties of the OU, comments on academic freedom.

Refers to full and frank exchange of views, establishing the GCRN is consistent with our obligations, etc. Will review polices around establishment of an academic network, bring parties together to resolve, you quote from the statement and there's no mention of the attacks

on you or the protected characteristic of being gender critical.
JP - 'has caused hurt and abandonments of trans & nonbinary colleagues' He's referring to their protected characteristics
JM - he's upholding your network, but acknowledging the hurt caused.
JP I disagree

JM - but he's supporting your network isn't he
JP - I describe that as a grudging statement
JM - well that's your view, back to your witness statement, you complain about various tweets and set them out, 16 pages of tweets, and your explanations of why they upset you

JP - yes
JM - these felt like an onslaught
JP - they just kept coming in
JM - you're not saying that each on constituted harassment and discrimination
JP - each one contributed
JM - lets read those out and test that; reads one that links to the Wells letter and calls for

abolition of GCRN and removal from OU. Are you saying that this constituted harassment. That's unreasonable.
JP - yes that is what I'm saying.
JM - its 14 tweets. Not an onslaught.
JP - these are a handful of tweets among hundreds and not counting RTs, likes etc

JP - these are from fellow employees and colleagues at the OU.
JM - you say 'they stoked a violent and febrile debate'
JP - yes
JM - nothing about those tweets stokes a violent and febrile debate
JP - I disagree
JM - none of those tweet are violent and abusive rhetoric.

JP - I disagree
JM - that is an insupportable interpretation of those tweets
JP - I disagree
JM - you refer to hateful images, these had nothing to do with GCRN
JP - I disagree, they did have to do with the GCRN
JM - no OU employee tweeted these

JP - there was 'shut the fuck up Terf'.
JM - lets look at some of these images.
(JP in some distress and leaving for 5 minutes).

We resume.
JM - (cannot hear) JP is referencing screenshots, and she's talking about the open letter, know what happens from this kind of campaign, a death threat on my Twitter not from anyone in the OU.
JP - yes.
JM - that finishes my questions about the tweets.

JM - I see you're upset and I don't mean to upset you.
JP - You see my background from my witness statement my background, I at this point, could not separate what was happening at work, on Twitter, at Essex, from my childhood.
JM - However, I must discuss your health.

JP - I understand, I understand.
JM - you were signed off work on 17 June, various documents and the sick note.
(JP very distressed)
JP - can you go very slowly
JM - a certificate on 17 June, for severe stress, it appears this was before the open letter.

JP - recent events referred to the extraordinary event around the Reindorf Report and the complete lack of support from my department and OU. I had to have spinal fusion surgery and was still laying in my bed when the Chancellor of Essex phoned me and told me the Reindorf Report

was going to be published. I found myself in the middle of the most awful media storm. And I wanted to congratulate the VC of Essex for what he had done and while this was happening my own direct colleagues, I sent them an email and the response was at best lukewarm and then

I was told not to talk about it. It was not about the open letter, its was the lack of support. It broke me and that breaking started on 18 June with the open letter, the grudging statement. You are right that the stress that I was under was not just about bereavement

but about the fundamental lack of support from my department colleagues.
JM - there are emails in support from a number of individuals.
JP - but not from my departmental colleagues
JM - these are the colleagues that you were exhorting others to file grievances against.

BC - can we be clear what date we are talking about the JP felt unsupported.
JM - I'm suggesting that you didn't care about your departmental colleagues because you were exhorting formal grievances against them.
(JP very distressed)
J - I think we will take an early lunch.

JM - can we take 45 minutes for lunch"?
J - I hear your suggestion but we need the full hour.
JM - I will get through my questions today.
J - back at 1:55 pm.
Morning session ends.
@threadreaderapp unroll please.