Kathleen Stock hails new bid to halt university cancel culture

A NEW complaints scheme for people whose free speech has been restricted at universities was welcomed today by academics who have been "cancelled".

- Anna Davis

The Office for Students' plan would allow students, staff and visiting speakers to complain about restrictions on their lawful free speech at a university, and to seek redress for any loss that they have suffered as a result.

Universities, colleges and students' unions which fail to uphold free speech duties could also be named publicly by the higher education watchdog under the plans.

Dr Kathleen Stock, who was forced to leave her post at the University of Sussex in 2021 after a student campaign because of her views on gender identification, said the complaints scheme would "sharpen the minds" of university leaders and could prevent "sudden witch hunts" of students and staff over what they say.

Dr Stock said the proposed scheme could have helped her after she had speaking invitations from philosophy departments or conferences withdrawn at the last minute after protests.