Key facts
- A University of Cambridge whistleblower, Prof Wyn Evans, has won an employment tribunal.
- Evans alleged bullying and misogyny within the university's Institute of Astronomy.
- The tribunal found Evans was subjected to a retaliatory, baseless, and vexatious investigation.
- Eleven of fourteen alleged detriments were upheld against the university and individual respondents.
- The tribunal rejected Vice-Chancellor Deborah Prentice's evidence, citing ghostwritten responses.
- Evans suggested the judgment raises questions about Prentice's fitness for office.
A University of Cambridge whistleblower who alleged bullying of female staff within the university’s Institute of Astronomy has won an employment tribunal against his employer. Professor Wyn Evans claimed that the institute had a "bad history of misogyny" and that women had been "hounded out of a job" or faced "aggressive professors".
The tribunal found that after raising concerns, Evans was "subjected to a prolonged nearly two-year investigation by the university", even though the allegations against him "contained scant particularisation, and no evidence to support them". The tribunal ruled that the investigation was "baseless", "filed in retaliation", and "likely malicious and vexatious".
Employment Judge Graham found serious failures in the university’s handling of Evans’s complaints, with 11 of 14 alleged detriments upheld against the university or individual respondents, including the vice-chancellor. The tribunal described "an institutional mindset" that viewed Professor Evans as "a source of difficulty and continuing reputational risk".
Evidence submitted by Vice-Chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice was rejected by the tribunal, which concluded that responses to Evans's complaints were "written solely by Ms Rampton and then presented to the vice-chancellor as a fait accompli." The tribunal noted "ghostwriting was a consistent and a concerning theme throughout this matter."
Evans stated that the judgment raises questions about Vice-Chancellor Prentice's fitness for office, particularly in light of recent concerns about her leadership during the Jason Arday situation. The University of Cambridge acknowledged the tribunal’s judgment and stated it is carefully reviewing the findings.