Transgender NUS off icial is suspended over naked photos on net
BRITAIN’S first official ‘transgender students’ officer’ has been suspended over allegations that she posted explicit photographs on an online blog.
Jess Bradley, who was born male but refers to herself as a ‘nonbinary trans woman’, was the first person to be elected to the fulltime paid role by the National Union of Students.
But she was suspended from her post last week while the NUS carries out an investigation into claims that she published pictures of male genitalia under the headline ‘Exhibitionizm’ on her personal blog.
Shocking images on the site show an individual flashing while sitting in a train carriage, in a public park and at a bus stop. Another picture shows male genitals being exposed in an office close to a curved wooden desk that is strikingly similar to a picture of a work desk that Ms Bradley posted on her Facebook page.
When The Mail on Sunday set out the allegations in detail to the NUS, a spokesman confirmed Ms Bradley, 29, had been suspended from her post ‘pending an investigation’, adding: ‘The matters pertaining to the investigation are confidential to allow for a fair and impartial process. NUS will continue to support Jess, full-time officers, staff and volunteers during this time.’
Ms Bradley initially declined to comment. However, last night she took to Twitter to state that she was ‘confident that none of my behaviour has been unlawful, and that I have not engaged in sexual activity with anyone, or in the view of anyone, without their consent’.
She added: ‘I have currently been suspended from my role at NUS pending an investigation. Due to my contractual obligations to keep the nature and details of the investigation confidential, there are a number of things I would like to say but am currently not able to talk about without risking my job.’ Ms Bradley instructed libel lawyers Carter Ruck to represent her – and the law firm sought to prevent publication of the story on privacy grounds. As part of its argument, it cited last week’s High Court ruling that the BBC had infringed on the privacy of Sir Cliff Richard by reporting a police raid on his home.
Carter Ruck argued that, based on the judgment, a report on Ms Bradley’s suspension and the NUS investigation relating to it would be an infringement of her privacy.
Legal experts have warned that the High Court ruling on Sir Cliff could have serious implications for journalism in Britain.
Gavin Millar QC, who led the BBC’s legal team, said: ‘The risk is a severe chilling effect on the freedom of the press in relation to reporting police investigations.’
Media law expert David Banks, who has worked as a consultant for Government departments and other public bodies, said: ‘It is worrying if the lawyers for people in these situations are trying to use the Cliff Richard case as a means of shutting down potentially legitimate press attention into matters of legitimate public interest.
‘The concern is that the Cliff Richard ruling is creating general rules about the rights to privacy.’
Ms Bradley was elected as the NUS transgender students’ officer at the Trans Students’ Conference in March last year and was re-elected this year.
Most of the NUS’s £24 million annual income comes from selling discount cards to students and membership fees paid by student unions.
Ms Bradley previously attracted controversy when she defended an attack by transgender activist Tara Wolf, who was born male, on a 60-year-old feminist campaigner in London’s Hyde Park last September.
Following the incident, Ms Bradley wrote online that Ms Wolf’s actions had been an act of ‘selfdefence’ caused by ‘anti-trans activists… riling up the trans community and provoking that trans person to take a swing at someone’.
Her comments sparked criticism from feminists who accused her of ‘inciting violence against women’.
‘None of my behaviour has been unlawful’