University threatened with legal action after protest at event

A leading academic who led a recent government review into the collection of sex and gender data has threatened legal action against the University of Bristol, claiming it has failed to protect freedom of expression.

Professor Alice Sullivan also wrote to the university regulator, the Office for Students, after her speech at the university was disrupted by a trans rights protest.

Universities have a legal duty to support freedom of expression and balance this with the right of those who object to protest.

The University of Bristol denied the allegations and said the meeting continued safely despite “unacceptable disruption” in line with its “strong commitment to protecting freedom of expression”.

Universities have a long-standing legal duty to protect the rights of staff, students and guest speakers to express views that others may find offensive.

This situation became even more clear with the new freedom of expression law in higher education that came into force in England in August.

The University of Bristol said every action it took was in support of freedom of expression.

Prof Sullivan’s review of the government, published in March recommended the use of data on biological sex and gender identity should be recorded in separate categories.

He said he was first invited to talk about his work by an academic from the University of Bristol in July 2024 and agreed to attend an event that autumn.

In his new letter to the university, Prof Sullivan warned that he was ready to launch a legal objection and said that the university had first suggested that the event be held online rather than in person.

Asked by the BBC why he rejected the offer, Prof Sullivan said he did not know what the size of possible protests would be, but acknowledged that some people may have very opposing views on gender identity and have the right to express them.

“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but that should never mean a filibuster veto, which means shutting down other people’s right to speak,” he said.

“This is not just about my rights as a guest speaker, this is about the university community’s right to have discussions and for people to come and listen.”

After further delays, the event was scheduled for October 22, 2025.

When Prof Sullivan arrived, some participants recorded the protest in front of the building with their phones.

Videos seen and verified by the BBC show some protesters making rude gestures while others held signs.

Prof Sullivan told the BBC it was like a “zombie apocalypse” with some protesters pressing into the window with banners and loud shouting.

The fire alarm went off multiple times, interrupting the conversation until security personnel told them to move to a higher floor.

As he was leaving after the event, Prof Sullivan said he “heard howls of ‘shame on you, shame on you'”.

Police told the BBC they attended the event and no arrests were made.

The letter sent by Prof Sullivan’s lawyers states that the University of Bristol has 15 months to find a safe place to speak on campus.

He adds that documents released by the university reveal that the LGBTQ+ staff network made complaints about his speech.

Prof Sullivan says he has raised many of his concerns with the Office for Students, which, as regulator of universities in England, has the power to fine institutions if they do not support freedom of expression.

OfS at the beginning of this year Record fine of £585,000 The University of Sussex has been warned that its transgender and non-binary inclusion policy is having a “chilling effect” on free expression.

Kathleen Stock previously left her post as professor of philosophy at Sussex following protests against gender-critical views, which often say a person’s sex cannot be changed and takes precedence over gender identity.

Following the Sussex fine, the University of Bristol withdrew a similar policy stating that all staff were responsible for the removal of “transphobic and anti-trans material” from campus.

one in august New freedom of expression law comes into forceStrengthening universities’ legal obligations to support freedom of expression.

The government has not yet implemented the complaints process it promised as part of stronger powers.

Prof Sullivan told Arif Ahmed, the OfS’s director of freedom of expression, that he was concerned that “gender ideology” had led to Bristol’s “actions that hinder and frustrate my speech”.

He told the BBC that senior managers at the university “could have apologized and said we intend to do better in the future”.

“That’s what I want from them,” he said.

A spokesman for the University of Bristol said the meeting went ahead safely and in line with its “strong commitment to supporting freedom of expression”.

“Whilst protesters caused unacceptable disruption, appropriate measures were taken to ensure the event could go ahead and to protect the speaker and attendees,” they said.

The vice-chancellor later met with Prof Sullivan, the university added.

“We reject allegations that we failed to protect freedom of expression; every action we took was in support of this and the restrictions it outlines were all necessary for public safety,” the spokesman said. he said.

“Our position is clear; freedom of expression must be in accordance with the law. There is no protection in the law for abusive speech that incites violence, harassment or discrimination.

“It is clear that the intimidating behavior of the protesters was not peaceful and we condemned their unacceptable behavior.

“If anyone in the university community is found to be involved in this incident we will take disciplinary action.”