In a sharp critique of the academic climate in the United Kingdom, Professor Alice Sullivan of University College London has warned that universities are failing to protect academic freedom, particularly for scholars with gender-critical views. Her latest report reveals that many academics face harassment and censorship simply for exploring the biological and social dimensions of sex, raising serious concerns about the constraints on open inquiry in higher education.

Sullivan argues that stronger consequences are needed for students and staff who attempt to suppress free speech, insisting that freedom of expression must remain a fundamental academic value. Her findings come at a pivotal moment, as England’s revised Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act is set to take effect this August. While the new law aims to strengthen researchers’ rights, Sullivan has urged for similar protections to be extended across the entire UK.

The report builds on her government-commissioned review from March 2025, which examined the challenges facing sex and gender-related research. Her call for evidence attracted 140 submissions, largely from individuals supporting gender-critical perspectives — the view that biological sex is immutable and distinct from gender identity. Sullivan attributes the weakening of academic independence to the rise of managerialism within universities and the precarious conditions of academic employment, which she argues have left scholars increasingly susceptible to both institutional and activist pressures.

She further contends that excessive bureaucracy has opened the door to activist interference in academic decision-making, urging universities to review their internal policies to prevent unintended consequences. Suppressing debate on complex issues, she warns, undermines institutional integrity, harms individual wellbeing, and can inadvertently damage the very communities activists seek to support. The report also criticizes the erosion of democratic governance within universities, highlighting how most academic staff now have little say in institutional decisions. It calls for fostering healthy disagreement and warns against framing exposure to differing opinions as a mental health risk.

Many submissions to the report detailed active suppression of sex and gender research, with projects being blocked or downgraded by peers or administrators. Sullivan herself experienced such pushback when a 2020 conference cancelled her planned talk following public backlash. Likewise, Professor Kathleen Stock described enduring a sustained harassment campaign over her gender-critical views, ultimately resigning from the University of Sussex after years of online and on-campus abuse.

Responding to the report, a Universities UK spokesperson acknowledged the challenge of balancing free speech with the need to maintain welcoming campus environments. They affirmed that universities are legally obliged to protect diverse viewpoints and said the organization would consider the report’s recommendations to help institutions uphold this duty. Sullivan’s findings have reignited debate over whether British universities can truly serve as spaces for open, inclusive inquiry without silencing controversial or unpopular perspectives.

Source: https://skoobuzz.com/news/gender-critical-academics-harassment-uk-report