Prof tried to help women at scandal charity event
University vice-chancellor spoke to hostesses’ team leader to express concern over ‘uncomfortable’ staff
A UNIVERSITY vice-chancellor has said he tried to intervene on behalf of young women working at a men-only fundraising event where they were groped and sexually harassed.
Prof George Holmes, the vice-chancellor of the University of Bolton, said he was disturbed by the treatment of hostesses at the Presidents Club dinner at The Dorchester hotel last week. He also alerted representatives of Artista, the models agency that had hired the girls, to the harassment.
Two undercover reporters from the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that hostesses were groped and fondled, with men pawing at them and inviting them to their rooms for sex.
The women were encouraged to drink and allegedly led back into the room by staff from Artista, founded by Caroline Dandridge, if they tried to hide in the lavatories.
One of the hostesses yesterday said she saw men touching women inappropriately, kissing them and putting their hands up their skirts.
The woman said guests treated the agency workers “like they were sex workers”, “play things” and “objects”.
Prof Holmes, 56, attended the event as the guest of Mustafa Mohammed, of Genix Healthcare, which has its headquarters at the university and is one of its key sponsors.
A spokesman for the university said: “Prof Holmes was approached while dining and served drinks by several hostess staff allocated to his area of the dining room.
“He recalls expressing at the time [to Madison Marriage, the undercover FT reporter] that both personally and in the current context, particularly post the Harvey Weinstein allegations, he was uncomfortable” with the presence of the scantily dressed hostesses.
The professor spoke to another hostess who indicated that she was “uneasy with the event”, particularly about attending the after-party.
“This prompted Prof Holmes to seek out and speak with one of the event staff team leaders, expressing his concern that some of her staff were uncomfortable,” said the spokesman, adding: “Although Prof Holmes did not witness any of the assaults subsequently alleged in the press, he chose to leave as soon as was politely possible at the end of the charity auction.”
David Meller, who was on the board
‘Professor Holmes chose to leave as soon as was politely possible at the end of the charity auction’
of the Presidents Club and had already resigned from his role as a non-executive director for the Department for Education, yesterday announced he was taking leave of absence from his own trust, which runs several schools.
As the fallout continued, the chairman of trustees of a Jewish school resigned from his post after it was revealed he was a senior member of the Presidents Club.
Harvey Soning, 73, stepped down from his position at Jewish Community Secondary School (JCOSS), in New Barnet, yesterday.
A spokesman for JCOSS, which has received funds
from the Presidents Club, said: “The school is entitled to assume that, as such, its fundraising activities are legal and subject to proper regulatory scrutiny. We understand that the Charity Commission is investigating and so [we] will await the outcome of this.” Theresa May said she was “appalled” by the reports and added that she would work to ensure women are “genuinely” respected.
“I thought that sort of approach to women, that objectification of women, was something we were leaving behind,” she said.