Senior academics at Durham University were last night accused of whipping up a mob of Left-wing students attempting to oust the head of a college amid a free-speech row.
Professor Tim Luckhurst, the principal of South College, was last week barred from public duties for five weeks and is being investigated after he criticised students who walked out when journalist Rod Liddle rose to speak at a formal dinner.
The suspension of Prof Luckhurst, a former editor of The Scotsman, has raised new fears about the threat to free speech at UK universities posed by a minority of Left-wing activist students.
Now, The MoS can reveal the heads of at least 13 of Durham’s 17 colleges, along with other professors and heads of departments, have thrown their weight behind those who protested at Mr Liddle’s speech.
Professor Tim Luckhurst (pictured), principal of Durham’s South College, branding a walkout by woke students ‘pathetic’
Rod Liddle was invited by Professor Tim Luckhurst, an old friend and former newspaper editor who is now the College’s Principal
At least four academic departments have also backed the students.
In emails sent to students last week – many of which used almost identical wording – academics deplored Mr Liddle’s supposed ‘intolerant and hurtful’ remarks and described the ‘upset caused’ as ‘deeply concerning’.
Professor Carolyn Summerbell, principal of John Snow College, which neighbours South College, said: ‘I stand in solidarity with all those targeted in Rod Liddle’s speech and with those who exercised their freedoms by walking out of the formal [dinner]…
‘I condemn the verbal abuse of students in any and all contexts.’
Professor Simon Forrest, principal at St Hild and St Bede College, said: ‘Like you, I find the upset caused by this event deeply concerning.
I want you to know that I deplore the intolerant and hurtful remarks attributed to the speaker.’
Dr Susan Frenk, principal of St Aidan’s College, urged students who have been ‘personally affected’ to ‘reach out to student support’.
‘The pain cannot be erased, but we can try to play our part in healing the wounds,’ she added.
Mr Liddle began his speech on December 3 by joking that he was ‘disappointed’ not to see any sex workers that night – a reference to recent controversy over safety training provided by Durham to student sex workers.
The speech also covered trans issues.
One 21-year-old student who attended the dinner said that a table of about a dozen students walked out before Mr Liddle, a former editor of BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, had said ‘anything of any substance’.
‘Then, over the course of the speech, after every point Rod made there would be a dribble of people going out. But the vast majority stayed and the vast majority gave him an ovation at the end.’
The vast majority of students didn’t know who he was.
So they used mobile phones to search for ‘Rod Liddle’ via Google. Pictured: Durham students protest after Rod Liddle’s speech
Protesting youngsters carried flags and banners with messages such as ‘sod Rod’, ‘proud to be pathetic’ and ‘no hate’
Prof Luckhurst further angered the students by describing those who walked out as ‘pathetic’, while his wife was filmed saying: ‘What are you frightened of, you silly people?’ Hundreds of students protested on campus last week and have threatened to stop paying rent.
Tory MP Robert Halfon, chairman of the Commons education select committee, accused the students of ‘a witch-hunt against a respected academic’: ‘I’ve got no problem with students demonstrating, as is their right, but trying to get Tim Luckhurst sacked is ridiculous.’
Meanwhile, other supporters of Prof Luckhurst have highlighted how Durham University’s website carries a policy statement which trumpets that ‘freedom of expression is a fundamental right’.
Toby Young, of the Free Speech Union, said: ‘The fact senior members of the University are whipping up a mob of censorious student activists against a colleague is shocking.
‘They appear not to have read Durham’s freedom of expression policy.
Not only should the College Principals be upholding these values, they also have a legal duty to secure freedom of speech within the law on campus. Something has gone very wrong at Durham.’
The MoS also understands that academics from other universities have emailed Prof Luckhurst their support and that a ‘silent majority’ of Durham students back him.
Row ringleader of the student backlash against Rod Liddle’s speech at Durham University is a Jeremy Corbyn supporter who stood for the Labour Party
BY MICHAEL POWELL FOR kampus Terbaik Di lampung THE MAIL ON SUNDAY
One of the ringleaders of the student backlash against Rod Liddle’s speech at Durham University is a Jeremy Corbyn supporter who stood for the Labour Party at the local elections earlier this year.
, 22, president of the Junior Common Room at South College, addressed 300 people at a protest on Wednesday, where he backed calls for students to stop paying rent.
He said: ‘The only way that the university will listen is if it hits them financially.
This country belongs to us, gay people and black people and every person who lives here.’ Borrowing a slogan from Mr Corbyn, the politics graduate said: ‘We need to stand up for this country and its rights and build a new country for the many, not the few.’
Mr Hannigan was at the dinner at South College where Rod Liddle gave a talk on December 3, covering trans issues, women’s rights and racism.
Sean Hannigan, 22, (pictured) is a ringleader of the backlash against Rod Liddle’s speech at Durham University
The ‘woke’ mob had ramped up its campaign to oust Professor Luckhurst last night as seven societies accused him of ‘gross misconduct’
Mr Hannigan is a Jeremy Corbyn supporter who stood for the Labour Party at the local elections this year
The student gave his own speech afterwards, condemning Mr Liddle’s remarks, which was greeted by cheers and applause from student attendees, according to the Palatinate student newspaper.
Mr Hannigan spent a month working as an intern in the parliamentary office of then Shadow Transport Minister Matt Rodda in 2019 and has ambitions to become a Labour MP.
He stood unsuccessfully for Labour in local elections for Oxfordshire County Council in May, winning just 577 votes.
He posted on Instagram: ‘The Labour Party, particularly since Corbyn, has provided people like me with an alternative – and an end to austerity.’
Seun Twins, the left-wing student leader behind a campaign to oust a Durham University lecturer, has previously described Jeremy Corbyn as ‘the white king’ and suggested Tories should be ‘dealt with’
The Free Speech Union slammed the five officers (pictured, two of them) who penned a rambling statement in a bid to oust South College principal Professor Tim Luckhurst
Durham Students’ Union (pictured, two of its five officers) has been blasted for demanding a leading academic resign after he invited journalist Rod Liddle to talk at a dinner party
Seun Twins, Jack Ballingham, Jonah Graham, Declan Merrington and Charlie Procter (pictured) claimed hosting one of the UK’s best known writers was an ‘abuse of power’
Seun Twins, Jack Ballingham, Jonah Graham, Declan Merrington and Charlie Procter claimed hosting one of the UK’s best known writers (left) was an ‘abuse of power’.
Right: Prof Luckhurst
He said ‘families like mine have suffered’ under austerity. His family home is a £600,000 semi-detached house in the village of Crowmarsh Gifford near Henley-on-Thames.
Other hard-Left campaigners are demanding the removal of Professor Tim Luckhurst, the principal of South College, who has been suspended after he criticised students for walking out of Mr Liddle’s talk.
Durham students’ union president Seun Twins, who called for the professor to be sacked and said his position was ‘untenable’, has described Mr Corbyn as ‘the white king’ and suggested that Tories should be ‘dealt with’.
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox news" data-version="2" id="mol-3ea344e0-5ac4-11ec-9e11-d7c8b6450e11" website lecturers accused of stoking students in free speech furore
