The research, consultancy and campaign organisation the 1752 Group has published an open letter to the higher education sector urging a review of guidance around group complaints of sexual harassment in higher education.
The UK-based group – which is “dedicated to ending staff sexual misconduct in higher education” – wrote to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), Universities HR, AMOSSHE (The Student Services Organisation), the Office for Students, Universities UK and the Equality and Human Rights Commission, copying in the ministers for higher education in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The letter refers to Al Jazeera’s Degrees of Abuse investigation, which revealed failures by top universities when responding to student and staff sexual harassment complaints.
The 1752 group points out that “In current practice and guidance, where several people report the same student or staff member, their reports tend to be dealt with separately. This means that the responding party’s pattern of behaviour is difficult to spot” and calls upon sector bodies to work together to “devise shared guidance for HEIs in handling cases where there are multiple complainants”.
We acknowledge that complaints in this area are very challenging for HEIs to handle, especially in cases that also involve police reports, and we know that many dedicated professionals within HEIs are also struggling with the existing lack of clear guidance in this area. But we are all working towards the same goal – Open letter from The 1752 Group
Among the letter’s 183 signatories from across the sector is Mia Liyanage, the University of Oxford graduate who featured in the Al Jazeera investigation.
The group says it would be “delighted to contribute to an urgent working group to address this gap.”
The 1752 Group letter in full
Re: New guidance needed for group/multiple complaints of sexual harassment in HE
Many students, academics, and members of the public – including ourselves – have been alarmed and distressed by the findings of the Degrees of Abuse series from Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit. Outlining failures by Universities of Glasgow and Oxford to adequately respond to student and staff reports of sexual harassment from academic staff and from students, the series includes harrowing testimony of the experiences of those who have tried to speak out or make a formal complaint.
The series supports The 1752 Group’s findings from their research that there are various aspects of complaints handling in HE that urgently need to be improved. This issue is not limited to a handful of institutions; these testimonies could have come out of any university in the UK and as such they highlight a sector-wide issue. The 1752 Group have outlined some ways forward in their Sector Guidance, co-authored with law firm McAllister Olivarius, as well as in their good practice briefing notes (see also here). In particular, these publications describe how higher education institutions (HEIs) need to do much more to build trust with students and staff so that they feel safe to come forward, and then to keep them safe if they do so. However, as well as these steps, there remains further work to be done.
One of the most urgent issues that the Degrees of Abuse series highlights is HEIs’ difficulties in handling multiple reports about the same student or staff member. In current practice and guidance, where several people report the same student or staff member, their reports tend to be dealt with separately. This means that the responding party’s pattern of behaviour is difficult to spot. As outlined in Degrees of Abuse, and in The 1752 Group’s report Silencing Students, when students or staff are subjected to sexual misconduct from academic staff, there are often others who have been targeted by the same staff member. Research looking at student-student sexual misconduct has found that the same issue arises.
We, the undersigned, therefore urge AMOSSHE, the OIA, ACAS, and Universities HR to work together to devise shared guidance for HEIs in handling cases where there are multiple complainants. This should cover cases where there are two or more individual reports against the same person, or where several students and/or staff report as a group. Such guidance should relate to all reports under the Equality Act (2010) and would set out the circumstances and procedures for multiple complaints of sexual harassment, or harassment based on protected characteristics including race, sex, or disability, to be heard collectively.
Existing guidance is insufficient to support professional services staff in HEIs to adequately do this. Both the OIA and ACAS’ guidance assumes complaints or reports are made by an individual student or member of staff but as Al Jazeera’s and The 1752 Group’s findings demonstrate, this is often not the case. While the OIA’s guidance on large group complaints from April 2021 is aimed at large groups of students affected by strikes or other large-scale events, this is not appropriate for sexual harassment.
We propose that such guidance should be applicable for both student and staff complainants and respondents. We acknowledge that there exist significant differences in existing frameworks for handling reports from or against students or staff members. However, there is a need for more joined-up thinking across HR and student services in order to address the types of cases reported in Degrees of Abuse, where both staff and students were targeted by the same person.
We acknowledge that complaints in this area are very challenging for HEIs to handle, especially in cases that also involve police reports, and we know that many dedicated professionals within HEIs are also struggling with the existing lack of clear guidance in this area. But we are all working towards the same goal. That goal is to create a higher education sector where the kinds of devastating accounts that were heard in Degrees of Abuse can no longer occur.
The 1752 Group and our colleagues and collaborators will be delighted to contribute to an urgent working group to address this gap. We look forward to hearing back from you with your view on how this guidance can best be achieved and within what timeframes.
Yours faithfully
Dr Anna Bull, Co-director, The 1752 Group; University of York
Dr Adrija Dey, The 1752 Group; University of Sussex
Georgina Calvert-Lee, McAllister Olivarius
Sara Ahmed, Independent Scholar
Dr Helen Mott, consultant in policy and practice for prevention of sexual violence and harassment
Dr Rebecca Harrison, Open University
Fiona Drouet, EmilyTest
Gemma McCall, Culture Shift
Kim Harrison, Slater and Gordon
Not On My Campus UK
Professor Nicole Westmarland, Durham University
Mia Liyanage, University of Oxford alum, former complainant and participant in the Degrees of Abuse Al Jazeera investigation
Dr Esther Hitchen, The University of Manchester
Dr Emma Cardwell, Nottingham Trent University
Anonymous academic, currently involved in a lengthy complaints process.
Katie Tobin, Durham University, former Sussex student, victim in 2021 public inquiry
Professor Jane Henderson, Cardiff University
Dr Erin Shannon, The 1752 Group, University of York
Dr. Mara Keire, University of Oxford
Dr Megan Donald
Alice Fogg, University of Manchester
Melanie Williams, University of Anglia
Allison Smith, former Sussex University student, victim in 2017 Sussex university public inquiry
Professor Deborah Cameron, University of Oxford
Professor Amy Bryzgel, University of Aberdeen
Jasmin Bath, University of Cambridge
Sydney Feder, The Student Survivors Coalition for Safeguarding Policies
Dr Sarah M Hughes Northumbria University
Aline Courtois, University of Bath
Professor Karen Boyle, University of Strathclyde
Dr Charlotte Boyce, University of Portsmouth
Erin Ross, EmilyTest
Dr Phoenix Andrews
Dr Alex Pavey, University of Surrey
Dr Sazana Jayadeva, University of Cambridge
Helen Coleman, Glyndwr University
Dr Stephen Burrell, Durham University
Dr Laurence Totelin, Cardiff University
Dr. Alex Baker, Sheffield University
Dr. Jeffrey Whyte, University of Manchester
Prof. Ruth Holliday, University of Leeds
Prof. Vanessa Diaz, University College London
Sally Pentecost MLitt, University of St Andrews
Dr Philip Garnett, University of York
Professor Christopher Jackson, University of Manchester
Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley, University of Southampton
Dr Kim Allen, University of Leeds
Dr Mwenza Blell, Newcastle University
Dr Fran Amery, University of Bath
Dr Sam Strong, University of Cambridge
Dr Ruth Pearce, University of Glasgow
Dr Stevie Marsden, Edinburgh Napier University
Conner Milliken, University of Glasgow
Dr Andrea Gibbons, University of Salford
Dr Zoe Baker, University of York
Marion Cromb, University of Glasgow
Professor Helen Jarvis, Newcastle University
Natalie Smith, University of St Andrews
Dr Richard Goulding, University of Sheffield
Dr Jennifer Hessler, University of Huddersfield
Dr Eleanor Wilkinson, University of Southampton
Dr Hannah Yelin, Oxford Brookes University
Dr Julia Downes, The Open University
Dr Kristina Saunders University of Glasgow
Ruth Beresford, University of Sheffield
Kirsteen Fraser, University of Glasgow
Dr Stephen Henthorn, University of Sheffield
Dr Liz Ablett, University College Dublin
Danielle Bradford, sexual violence researcher & activist
Professor Bijan Parsia, University of Manchester
Dr Jane Meyrick, University of the West of England.
Dr Ian Garwood, University of Glasgow
Professor Laudan Nooshin, City, University of London
Simon Bowie, Coventry University
Dr Heather McKnight, University of Sussex and Magnetic Ideals Research Collective
Professor Rachel Cowgill, University of York
Molly Manister, Durham University
Clarissa Humphreys, Durham University
Dr Lisa Kelly, University of Glasgow
Dr Michelle Addison, Durham University
Ed Kiely, University of Cambridge
Jacob Engelberg, King’s College London
Dr Ruth Sheldon, King’s College London
Dr Anna Judson, British School at Athens
Cat Morgan, Birkbeck College, University of London
Dr Anna Strhan, University of York
Dr Jonathan Saha, University of Durham
Dr Jenny Lloyd, Durham University
Dr Emily Nicholls, University of York
Kevin Leomo, University of Glasgow
Dr Vik Loveday, Goldsmiths, UoL
Dr Jessica Gagnon, University of Manchester
Andrew Bull, University of Glasgow
Reclaim the Campus Campaign
Dr Renata Bongiorno, University of Exeter
Dr Olivia Mason, University of Glasgow
Ivana Drdáková, Vice President for Welfare at the Aberdeen University Students’ Association
Dr Lisa Kelly, University of Glasgow
Natalie Marr, University of Glasgow
Dr James Todd, University of Stirling
Dr Diljeet Kaur Bhachu, University of Glasgow, Edinburgh Napier University, Royal Northern College of Music
Dr Chris A. Williams, Open University
Emily West, University of Reading
Professor Vanita Sundaram, University of York
Dr Charlotte Morris, University of Portsmouth
Dr Elizabeth Elliott, University of Aberdeen
Dr Luisa Gandolfo, University of Aberdeen
Dr Jenny van Hooff, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Agni Connor, University of Aberdeen
Dr Katie Gaddini, UCL
Dr Sara De Benedictis, Brunel University London
Kai Grygier, Survivors’ Collective & Not The Only One project
Serena Rossi, Co-Convener: ABDN CASE – Consent Awareness & Sexual Education Group
Dr Melanie Crofts, De Montfort University
Prof Steven Jones, University of Manchester
Dr Martin Findell, University of Nottingham
Dr Raphael Nowak, University of York
Dr Kirsty Finn, Manchester Metropolitan University
Dr Henrik Ernstson, The University of Manchester
Dr Sarah Maria Hall, The University of Manchester
Dr. Cristina Temenos, The University of Manchester
Professor Vanessa Munro, University of Warwick
Dr Niamh Moore, University of Edinburgh
Dr Nikki Fairchild, University of Portsmouth
Dr Tom Western, University College London
Dr Sophie Yarker, University of Manchester
Dr Marian Mayer, Bournemouth University Audrey Courty, Griffith University
Dr Cassandra Jones, University of Winchester
Dr Susan Oman, The University of Sheffield
Dr Francesca Berry, University of Birmingham
Dr Catherine McNamara, University of Portsmouth
Professor Stefan Bouzarovski, University of Manchester
Professor Chris Collins, University of Aberdeen
Dr Kelly Prince, Independent Researcher
Professor Patience Schell, University of Aberdeen
Dr Ruth Lewis, Northumbria University
Dr Amy Newman, Northumbria University
Professor Kate Maclean, Northumbria University
Dr Rima Hussein, Northumbria University
Beki Osborne, Oxford University ISVA (Oxfordshire Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre)
Richard Budd, Lancaster University
Dr Saoirse Caitlin O’Shea, Open University
Amal Abellatif, Northumbria University
Ameera Jamil, Harassment and Hate Caseworker, Coventry University
Dr Kerri Woods, University of Leeds
Dr Jana Bacevic, Durham University
Brontë Rapps, Northumbria University
Dr Christina Scharff, King’s College London
Pauline Rutter Open University
Aisling Third, Open University
Professor Julie Cupples, University of Edinburgh
Aleksandra Nowicka, University of Westminster
Sarah Bowen, PhD student and former complainant University of Nottingham
Dr Ana Manzano, University of Leeds
Professor Alexandra Gillespie, University of Toronto (formerly employee at Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, UK)
Dr Susan Imrie, UCL
Dr Melanie McCarry, University of Strathclyde
Lara Scheibli, University of Oxford, Philosophy Graduate Student Women’s Representative
Dr. Katherine Paugh, University of Oxford
Dr Kingsley Edney, University of Leeds
Kate Mukungu, Northumbria University and University of Cumbria
Dr Angelika Strohmayer, Northumbria University
Milo Eyre-Morgan, Cambridge Students’ Union Women’s Officer
Dr. Elizabeth Bromley, Durham University
Dr. Jamie Doucette, University of Manchester
Dr. Olivia Durand, University of Oxford – Freie Universität Berlin
Kate Wilson, University of Strathclyde
Emma Flynn, University of Strathclyde
Dr Rhi Harvey Humphrey, University of Strathclyde
Prof. Alan Kemp, University of Strathclyde
Hayley Turner-McIntyre, former Elected Welfare Officer at The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union (2019-2021)
Dr Perla Innocenti, University of Strathclyde
Dr Saska Petrova, University of Manchester
Dr Brian McNeil, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde
Dr Graeme Hawker, University of Strathclyde
Dr Sophie Jones, University of Strathclyde
Dr Hannah Schling, University of Glasgow
Dr Alice Corble, University of Sussex
Professor Jo Brewis, The Open University
Professor Rosie Cox, Birkbeck, University of London
Dr Sabah Boufkhed, The University of Manchester
Dr Katie Nicoll Baines, University of Edinburgh
Dr Ece Kocabıçak, The Open University
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