King’s College staff told campaigning for Stonewall may help get promotion

King’s College London has come under fire from one of its own staff for informing employees that collaborating with LGBT lobby group Stonewall could help them get promoted.

In the university’s guidance on how to become a reader or professor, it instructs academics to “detail specific activity undertaken to support the university’s equality, diversity and inclusion ambitions”.

One example provided is ‘participating in Stonewall LGBTQ groups’.

Undermines credibility

Dr John Armstrong, Reader in Financial Mathematics at King’s, told The Daily Telegraph: “We are being told that if we campaign on Stonewall’s behalf it will help with promotion”.

“This clear bias is discriminatory and undermines the impartiality and credibility of KCL research.”

The university spokesman responded: “We’re proud of the work we’ve done to build an inclusive atmosphere on campus in collaboration with EDI”.

He added: “Academic freedom is fundamental to King’s success and is underpinned by the Freedom of Expression Standing Advisory Group, who ensure that freedom of expression in our academic and student community is fully supported”.

This clear bias is discriminatory and undermines the impartiality and credibility of KCL research.

Harassment

Earlier this month, over 100 academics formed the London Universities’ Council for Academic Freedom to ensure free speech and free inquiry are preserved in contentious issues such as transgender ideology.

The group, which includes academics such as University College London’s Professor Alice Sullivan, said: “Universities should not adopt institutional positions on contested issues”, while staff and students should not be harassed on the “basis of their beliefs and lawful expression of their views”.

“We encourage open, honest, courageous and reasoned discussion of controversial ideas, in and outside of the classroom, in a spirit of having respect for people even while one does not necessarily respect their beliefs.”