A professor was suspended after defending a gender-critical academic from accusations of “transphobia” Prof David Gordon said it was in the “interests” of staff and students at the University of Bristol to hear from
Prof Alice Sullivan after he invited her to give a talk in November 2024.
The Russell Group university’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network had claimed Prof Sullivan, of University College London, was guilty of “transphobia” and would cause “real and enduring harm” if allowed to speak.
But when Prof Gordon, Bristol’s professor of social justice, responded to their concerns via email, he was suspended because his manager had told him not to do so.
An investigation concluded in March 2025 that he had failed to “follow reasonable management instructions” and nine months on he remains suspended.
Prof Gordon, 66, is now considering taking legal action against the university.
“I’d like them to apologise for violating my right to
freedom of speech and academic freedom, and not protecting me from discrimination,” he told The Telegraph.
“I think you should obey reasonable management instructions, such as marking. But being told to not discuss academic issues is just not reasonable.”
The talk by Prof Sullivan, who
led a government review last year that demanded public bodies collect data on biological sex as well as gender identity,
did not go ahead until October 2025.
But after demonstrators set off multiple fire alarms during the event and shouted “shame on you” at her as she left, Prof Sullivan is now taking legal action against the university for failing to protect her right to academic freedom. The university has denied the claim.
Prof Gordon first invited Prof Sullivan to speak at Bristol in July 2024, which prompted the university’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network to object, saying:“We would like to raise an objection to this event, which is giving a platform at our university to a member of the academic community who has been noted for her transphobia views and statements.
“This kind of speaker and event causes real and enduring harm to our community.”
In the complaint, seen by The Telegraph, the network accepted the event was “acceptable under
freedom of academic speech” but said it signalled to “trans students and staff that their safety is secondary”.
Prof Gordon drafted a reply in which he said: “I firmly believe that it is in the interests of the LGBTQ+ community to engage with and discuss their views about sex and gender identity with Professor Alice Sullivan.”
But when his manager as head of Bristol’s school for policy studies saw the draft on Oct 16 2024, she urged him to “leave further communications on this with me” despite recognising that “some of the content of your email is very useful”.
“
Accusing Prof Sullivan of transphobia is ridiculous,” Prof Gordon said. “Universities are about debating academic issues and if we stop doing that, then we have little purpose in existing.
“Because academic freedom and freedom of speech are written into the university’s charter, because I’d organised the event and because my LGBTQ+ colleagues expected an answer, I sent it anyway.”
Two days later, his manager accused him of having failed to “respect” her “management directions” and on Oct 29, he was suspended pending an investigation into whether his “emails amount to a failure to follow reasonable management instructions or even bullying and harassment”.
The suspension blocked him from accessing his university email account and forbade him from communicating with any university staff or students, even at social occasions.
The investigation concluded in March 2025 and found Prof Gordon had disobeyed a reasonable management instruction but dismissed the claims of
bullying and harassment.
Despite the investigation having concluded, the academic remains suspended on full pay.
“Suspensions are meant to be concluded within six weeks,” he said. “There is no reason for it to go on for years unless they are using it to keep me quiet. But I’m not going to be bullied into resigning or retiring.
“I may well take legal action in the end for violation of my basic human rights. They could sack me but then they would likely lose the case at an employment tribunal and in cases where discrimination is found to have occurred, there is no cap to the compensation damages that can be awarded.”
The Committee for Academic Freedom (CAF) is writing to the University of Bristol to seek clarification on Prof Gordon’s suspension and its implications for academic freedom.
“The length of Professor Gordon’s ongoing suspension is hard to square with a proportionate response,” said Freddie Attenborough, its research manager.
“And when it arises in the context of his attempt to address complaints from the university’s LGBTQ+ staff network about supposedly ‘harmful’ gender-critical views being heard on campus, the message to other academics is obvious: steer clear of controversy – and leave the hard questions to those least interested in evidence.”
Prof Sullivan said: “Activists make accusations of ‘transphobia’ against anyone who acknowledges the material reality of sex. Universities should treat this tactic with the derision it deserves.
“The idea that a highly respected senior professor cannot reach out to colleagues to discuss a contentious issue without management reprimand speaks volumes.”
During his 35-year career in academia, Prof Gordon said it had become “immeasurably” more difficult to explore contested subjects such as
gender identity.
“It has changed immeasurably,” he said. “I’m so old and I have been in the university sector for so long that I have a quaint belief that the purpose of the universities is to accumulate and synthesise the knowledge of humanity and pass it on to the next generation, along with the skills to continue its advance.
“Now, it seems it is to make money and build pyramids. An idea has definitely emerged that if you criticise management or the institution, then that is a disciplinary offence.”
A spokesman for the University of Bristol said: “We cannot legally comment on individual members of staff or internal staff procedures.”
