'It was like the Stasi has come to my door':

A philosophy student overheard through the wall of his room saying 'veganism is wrong' and 'gender fluidity is stupid' was threatened with expulsion by his university, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Robert Ivinson said he was disciplined after a student next door in halls of residence at Exeter University heard the comments then complained he had been offensive and 'transphobic'.

Mr Ivinson, who expressed the views in a phone call to a friend, was hauled before university officials and put on a 'behavioural contract' for the rest of his studies. He was warned he could be expelled if the university thought he had done anything else wrong, and told by letter he had been found guilty of harassment.

Last night, critics condemned Mr Ivinson's punishment as an example of the 'insidious erosion' of free speech in the UK's academic institutions.

Edward Skidelsky - director of the Committee for Academic Freedom, academics fighting to maintain free expression on campuses - said:

'It's extraordinary that in 21st century Britain eavesdroppers can be rewarded, and a student punished for remarks made to a friend in the privacy of his room.

'Robert's case once again underlines the insidious erosion of the freedom to express opinions and ideas which is playing out at our universities.'

At the time of the complaint, Mr Ivinson - who had just started his first year of a philosophy degree - was alone with the door closed.

Mr Ivinson, who is 6ft 5in with a deep intonation, said his voice often carried without him realising.

When an officer from the university's estate patrol banged on his door to tell him his female neighbour had complained, the mature student was shaken.

'It was like the Stasi had come to my door,' he said. 'He stuck his foot in my door and said you've been saying some very offensive things.'

Mr Ivinson was called to a disciplinary hearing and grilled by university officials.

He told The Mail on Sunday:

'The first thing they read out was that I had said veganism is wrong. I couldn't believe it - I thought I was mishearing them. I asked them to repeat it three or four times because I didn't believe I was sitting there for saying that veganism is wrong.'

He says he made the comments about gender fluidity and veganism, but maintains other statements he was alleged to have made had been misheard, such as that President Assad of Syria was 'a good guy'. He says he stated the dictator was 'not a good guy'.

He also denies saying 'people should not parade their sexuality in a gay bar'.

He insists he said that while uncomfortable with public displays of affection - gay or straight - he had no problem if gay people wished to demonstrate their sexuality in bars or clubs.

He says he apologised to the officials for the disturbance but maintained his right to speak freely in his own room. 'I was totally private apart from that someone heard me through a brick wall.'

Mr Ivinson attempted to challenge the decision by Exeter - a member of the prestigious Russell Group of top universities - but says that this was batted down.

He subsequently suffered depression - the incident played out at the same time as a family bereavement and put back his studies.

Now studying a masters in philosophy at Exeter, Mr Ivinson said he has felt unable to speak about his ordeal, which happened in 2018, for fear of repercussions. But after gaining support from the recently established Committee for Academic Freedom and Mr Skidelsky, who is also a philosophy lecturer at Exeter University, he found the courage to do so.

Mr Ivinson said: 'It hurts me that in this country freedom of speech can now mean so little. It's shocking that a Russell Group university can act this way.'

Exeter University was approached for comment but did not respond.
Source link