A group of far-left academics plotted a "witch hunt" of their colleagues with gender-critical views in an effort to oust them from universities.
The Times obtained leaked audio from a meeting and reported the overheard dialogue of University and College Union (UCU) members plotting to compile a list of university staff who they suspected of holding gender-critical beliefs. Their plan was to "inform" the university branches of their colleagues' "transphobic" views.
According to the leaked audio, the conspirators planned to create a survey that would be emailed to universities across the UK with questions that they would use to identify individuals with gender-critical beliefs.
The survey would "get information about gender critical equality, diversity and inclusion consultants … employed in HR departments of various institutions," according to the audio.
One question that was suggested was: "Are you aware of your institution employing EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] consultants in the sector and if so which ones?"
"The last question is to get information about how many HR and senior HR staff/consultants are gender critical and then to inform branches, so that they are aware of any problems which may arise in a particular branch. Some of the EDI consultants are transphobes and prominent gender critical activists," the audio revealed.
A source who wished to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions said: "These minutes are compelling evidence that UCU is seeking to discriminate against and harass members who believe in sex."
The Times reported that they have not seen the finalized survey sent out to members and UCU did not provide it when they asked for comment. UCU denied including any questions that asked about gender-critical views.
A spokesman for UCU said: "This survey did not contain any questions about the views, gender critical or otherwise, of senior HR or EDI staff, nor did it ask respondents to identify institutions which employed them. A suggestion to the contrary is untrue."
The UCU said it surveyed its LGBT members as part of its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion. The spokesperson said the UCU was committed to "inclusion and to non-discriminatory conduct at all times," adding: "UCU is a proud and unequivocal supporter of trans rights, a position established and repeatedly endorsed by members at its annual congress."
The leaked audio also revealed the involvement of UCU’s general secretary, Jo Grady, in forcing out Dr. Kathleen Stock from Sussex University.
Stock was a philosophy professor who quit the university in October 2021 after being bullied and harassed for her gender-critical beliefs.
Grady, who earned £140,213 in salary and benefits in 2021, met with University of Sussex’s UCU branch "late last year," after Stock’s resignation. Instead of backing Stock, The Times reports, the Sussex branch of the UCU called for an investigation into "transphobia" at the university. Grady "asked them what mechanisms could have been in place which would have benefited them."
The leaked audio said, "The situation is likely to arise again and it is important to have mechanisms in place to ensure that the situation which the Sussex branch went through is not repeated."
The Times reports that "the LGBT committee meeting, with Grady in attendance, also warned of the need to tackle 'transphobes' repeating 'hostile views', in ways other than educating them — suggesting plans to force them out."
"Supporting branches in combating transphobia is important through education but there are a small core of people who are so entrenched in their views and the UCU needs to address this issue … It is important to look at ways of tackling these transphobes as they put forward hostile views which make campuses very unsafe places for trans people," the leaked audio said.
The UCU whistleblower told The Times: "That passage made my blood run cold. They mean feminists, like me. There’s no ambiguity — they are talking about their own members. The whole thing is just horrendous."
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