Star Observer columnist is suspended over conduct claims

ONE of the Observer’s star columnists has been suspended following allegations over his conduct in the wake of a row about trans rights with the campaigning lawyer Jolyon Maugham.

Nick Cohen’s weekly column has been put on hold while the allegations are investigated, according to the newspaper’s publisher, Guardian News and Media (GNM). Mr Maugham took issue with one of the journalist’s columns last year, accusing him of complaining “about the cancellation of transphobes”.

The barrister – who runs the Good Law Project, a campaign group that takes legal action against alleged government overreach – then put out an appeal on Twitter encouraging women to share any complaints about Mr Cohen. Mr Maugham forwarded several allegations to GNM in late 2021 and published claims about Mr Cohen’s behaviour online last month, claiming he was unhappy with how his concerns had been handled.

GNM said yesterday that Mr Cohen had agreed to “step back from work” and will “cooperate with the company’s ongoing investigation”.

However, it gave no further detail on the nature of the investigation or how long the process might last.

In tweets published in October 2021, Mr Maugham wrote: “I see Nick Cohen is again complaining in one of his newspaper columns about the cancellation of transphobes.

“I’d be very happy to hear from women who have worked with Nick whether he is the champion they would choose for women’s rights in the workplace.”

Mr Cohen has not published any work for the Sunday sister title of the Guardian since July 24 when he reviewed Duncan Marvin’s book on the Australian financier Lex Greensill.

When contacted by The Telegraph, Mr Cohen said: “I am afraid I cannot say anything until the inquiry is over.”