‘Bundled out’, academic behind sexism row that cost Nobel knight his job

THE woman who accused Nobel laureate Sir Tim Hunt of sexism in a row which cost him his job has left her university post after claiming she was being ‘bundled out’.

Connie St Louis triggered a furore after Sir Tim made jokey remarks about women scientists when giving a toast at a scientific conference last year.

Mrs St Louis tweeted that the event was ‘utterly ruined by sexist speaker Tim Hunt’ who was ‘in favour of single sex labs’.

It sparked an outcry in which Sir Tim, 73, came under fire from some women scientists, but was also supported by high-profile names. He eventually resigned from his honorary professorship at University College London, feeling he was ‘hung out to dry’ by the college.

It has now emerged that journalism lecturer Mrs St Louis has left a different university where she had worked since 2003.

City, University of London, claimed it was by mutual agreement. But Mrs St Louis complained shortly before her departure last month that the university was trying to ‘get rid’ of her.

In a written submission to a Commons committee looking into science communication released last Wednesday she wrote: ‘In May 2016 the new head of the journalism department decided to suspend the science journalism MA. The university’s excuse was that I had not recruited enough students.

‘However, on further investigation it was later discovered that students who tried to apply were told by the university that the course was not taking any application and Tweets: Lecturer Connie St Louis had closed. It’s difficult to recruit the required number of students under these circumstances.

‘I am certain that this so-called ‘‘suspension’’ will eventually lead to the course’s complete closure. It Forced out: Biologist Sir Tim Hunt was the only masters degree in science journalism in Europe. They will also use the “supposed” low student numbers as a way to ‘‘get rid’’ and bundle me out of the door. Nothing is too difficult for the new corporatised university.’ The sexism row began when biologist Sir Tim called for separate labs for men and women scientists in his humorous speech 18 months ago at the conference in South Korea.

He said his ‘trouble with girls’ was that they cry when you criticise them and fall in love with male scientists.

Mrs St Louis tweeted: ‘Does this Nobel laureate think we live in Victorian times?’ In an online blog she said his ‘awful’ comments had left the audience aghast and were met with a ‘deathly silence’.

Sir Tim, who resigned from positions at the Royal Society and the European Research Council as well as from UCL, was branded a ‘lab rat’, while in a playful protest women scientists posted pictures of themselves at work in labs with the hashtag #distractinglysexy.

Powerful supporters from the scientific community, including Brian Cox and Richard Dawkins, called for him to be reinstated. And broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby resigned from his honorary fellowship at UCL in protest at its treatment of Sir Tim.

The protests were in vain, but doubt was cast on Mrs St Louis’s version of events after a tape emerged of audience laughter at Sir Tim’s remarks rather than silence. Sir Tim also explained he was being sarcastic. A Mail investigation found Mrs St Louis had made false claims she had written for newspapers including the Mail, Sunday Times and Independent.

Sir Tim, who was awarded the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine in 2001 for work on cell biology, emigrated to Japan for a fresh life with his wife.

City University initially stood by Mrs St Louis although her online CV was ‘updated’. But in September the Mail reported that her course had been dropped because of lack of demand.

A spokesman for the university said Mrs St Louis had left on November 30, 2016 by mutual agreement, and wished her well.