£5m-a-year fundraiser quits ‘toxic’ Christ Church

BOASTING a magnificent Tudor dininghall, it was perhaps inevitable that Christ Church, oxford’s grandest college, would feature in the first Harry Potter film.

But life at the college has not, alas, proved a wizard experience for its development director, Mark Coote.

He has, I can disclose, abruptly resigned after little more than three years in the post, which required him to raise funds from Christ Church’s distinguished alumni who include David Dimbleby, the Duke of Wellington and the American Bitcoin billionaire Winklevoss twins.

‘Christ Church receives about £5 million-a-year in donations but the last three years have been catastrophic,’ one of its alumni tells me, before alleging: ‘Donations are down by at least £5million in that time.’ (The college disputes that figure.)

This, my source adds, has nothing to do with Coote, but is, instead, because of the seemingly unending and increasingly ill-tempered battle between the head of college, the Rev Martyn Percy, and Christ Church’s senior dons.

Trouble flared after Coote was appointed — reputedly on a higher salary than Percy, who receives £90,000-a-year and lives in the Deanery, a rambling 16th-century house which forms part of one of the college’s quadrangles, and also enjoys the services of a gardener, a cleaner, a secretary and three-course meals in Christ Church’s dining hall.

Learning that Coote was paid more than him, Percy allegedly requested a review of how salaries at the college were set — and of the composition of the panel of dons who made the decisions. He then allegedly reacted ‘furiously’ when senior dons decided against increasing his pay.

Christ Church confirms that Coote is leaving, adding: ‘We are putting in place interim arrangements until a permanent successor can be appointed. All of us at Christ Church wish him great success in his future endeavours and thank him for his service to Christ Church.’

Coote declines to comment but is assured of sympathy from alumni. ‘He’s been working in a toxic atmosphere,’ one tells me.

A college benefactor agrees. ‘I’m unamused — both with the Dean and with the senior academics,’ he assures me.

Percy, who has been cleared of allegations of misconduct by one tribunal, now faces another, which will decide whether he should be removed from office.

He then faces an employment tribunal in the autumn.

given their infantile behaviour, surely they should settle it with a game of Quidditch?