Universities paid out £87m to gag victims of staff misconduct
UNIVERSITIES have paid £87million in the past two years in compensation to academics who complained about bullying, sexual misconduct, or discrimination.
The payments, which average more than £22,000, all included non-disclosure clauses which prevented the individuals talking about their cases.
The settlements covered about 4,000 cases in which academics had made allegations in 96 institutions, according to freedom of information responses collected by the BBC.
The scale of the spending on payoffs since 2017 casts a another cloud over the reputation of universities.
The non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) attached to them are controversial because critics say they are sometimes wrongly used to suppress allegations of discreditable or criminal behaviour.
It means that academic institutions have spent almost £1million a week on payoffs to academics that involve NDAs.
Institutions which routinely charge students £9,250 a year for teaching have been criticised for fat cat salaries for managers and grade inflation which has led to some awarding unprecedented high numbers of firsts and 2:1s. They have also been criticised for making too many unconditional offers to attract students and a readiness to co-operate with ‘no platform’ campaigns against academics and speakers whose views attract Left-wing or pressure group protests.
NDAs can be used legitimately by businesses and institutions to protect sensitive information when an employee leaves.
There were no details from the universities involved on the nature of the disputes, nor of how many involved bullying, sex abuse or harassment, or discrimination.
Universities UK, an umbrella body, said: ‘Universities use non- disclosure agreements for many purposes, including the protection of commercially sensitive information related to university research.
‘However, we also expect senior leaders to make it clear that the use of confidentiality clauses to prevent victims from speaking out will not be tolerated.
‘All staff and students are entitled to a safe experience at university and all universities have a duty to ensure this outcome.’
It said it would be producing ‘comprehensive guidance for universities on sexual misconduct’ later this year, and there will be advice on the use of confidentiality clauses.
‘It is important to note that a con
‘Money to ensure concealment’
fidentiality clause will usually be one part of a wider settlement agreement that has been negotiated between two parties and, crucially, the signing of an agreement containing such a clause does not prevent staff or students from reporting criminal acts to the police or regulatory bodies,’ it added.
But critics want a major investigation into spending by universities.
Chris McGovern, of the Campaign For Real Education, said: ‘We need an independent public inquiry into the financial administration of universities.
‘They appear to be allocating large amounts of money to ensure concealment of what is really happening on campuses up and down the country. This money is largely generated by student fees and, therefore, proper public accountability is imperative.’
Questions over university spending have also been aimed at salaries paid to senior managers.
The vice-chancellor of De Montfort University in Leicester, Professor Dominic Shellard, quit in February after receiving a 22 per cent increase, raising his salary to £350,000. It was later disclosed that he held shares in a company run by the head of the university’s remuneration committee.
Topshop tycoon Sir Philip Green brought a court injunction to prevent five former staff from breaking non-disclosure deals by going public with stories of sexual and racial harassment. Although Sir Philip’s legal action ended in February, the dispute brought warnings from MPs that NDAs should not be misused.