The Open University (OU) has settled the academic freedom case brought by FSU member and former law lecturer, Dr Almut Gadow.
Despite months of publicly insisting it would fight this case “vigorously” and “robustly,” a mutual settlement has been reached, which includes the payment of an undisclosed sum to Almut and the withdrawal of her claim, with no admission of liability.
This outcome was only possible thanks to the 3,237 people who donated to Almut’s crowdfunder and the thousands more who shared, retweeted, and spread the word. The OU knew we wouldn’t fold due to lack of funding, and that pressure made a difference.
This isn’t just a victory for Almut. It’s a victory for everyone who values academic freedom and refuses to see universities turned into ideological echo chambers.
With the support of FSU members and donors, Almut took legal action against the OU after being sacked for questioning new requirements to embed gender identity theory within the university’s law curriculum.
In 2021/22, the OU’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) department announced plans to integrate its ideological commitments across “all current curriculum”. This included redesigning the law degree around the core theme of “liberating the curriculum” to reflect these ideas.
One of the most troubling aspects of this overhaul was the requirement for criminal law tutors to introduce “diverse gender identities” into their teaching and to use offenders’ preferred pronouns, even in cases where it would obscure relevant facts about sex.
Almut, a committed educator and legal scholar, raised legitimate concerns in an online forum for law tutors. She argued that gender identity theory is not an objective legal principle, but an essentially contested belief system. It is a highly political doctrine, and universities should allow academics the freedom to critically examine all theories, especially those that shape legal education.
She also pointed out that both rejecting and accepting gender identity ideology are protected philosophical beliefs under the Equality Act 2010. Universities, therefore, cannot lawfully demand ideological conformity from staff or students.
Yet rather than engaging with her concerns, OU managers accused her of creating a non-inclusive environment, citing vague internal policies and alleging that her “unreasonable questions” violated transgender staff protections. Months later, she was dismissed.
Her case raised major questions about academic freedom, free expression, and equality law.
The Open University was once a beacon of accessible, high-quality education. Conceived by sociologist Michael Young and championed by Harold Wilson’s Labour government, it was meant to democratise learning and bring university education to the masses.
Yet in recent years, it has gained a darker reputation for undermining academic freedom.
This pattern has already played out in other high-profile cases. Professor Jo Phoenix, who founded the OU’s Gender Critical Research Network, was subjected to sustained harassment from colleagues and trans activists. When the university failed to protect her, she brought an unfair dismissal claim – and won. The tribunal found that the OU had acted out of “fear of being seen to support gender-critical beliefs” and “fear of the pro-gender identity section” of the institution.
She’s not alone. Pilgrim Tucker, a PhD student at the OU, has also spoken out about being bullied and harassed because of her gender-critical views. As more cases emerge, it is becoming clear that the university has a growing problem with suppressing dissenting opinions under the guise of EDI policies.
Now, Almut’s case has further exposed the culture of ideological intolerance at the Open University.
This outcome does not represent a formal legal ruling, but it is a significant moment in the ongoing fight for academic freedom and free speech in higher education.
With public support, we can push back against EDI’s ‘march through the institutions’ and ensure that universities remain places of open inquiry, not ideological indoctrination.
Once again, thank you to everyone who stood with Almut. This case has shone a spotlight on the creeping erosion of academic freedom; a light that is only growing brighter.
There’s more on this story via the Telegraph here.
