Oxford college spent £6.5m in campaign to get rid of its dean
AN OXFORD University college spent more than £6.5million in a campaign to oust its dean, the Charity Commission has revealed, as it accused trustees of “mismanagement” and “misconduct”.
Christ Church’s four-year battle to remove the Very Rev Prof Martyn Percy ended in February after it agreed to give him a substantial undisclosed payoff.
However, it can now also be revealed that the college had already spent more than £6.6million on legal fees and public relations costs in the dispute with the former dean who left his post amid claims of scandalous behaviour, unsound judgment, mental incapacity and sexual harassment, all of which he denied.
Following the settlement, the college reimbursed Prof Percy’s legal costs and agreed to an independent review of its governance.
The spending was revealed as the Charity Commission published its official warning to the college after finding that the trustees “failed to manage the charity’s resources responsibly”.
The regulator concluded: “The commission has determined there has been mismanagement and/or misconduct in the management and administration of the charity.”
Following the ruling, Prof Percy, who officially left his post in April, said: “This is a devastating finding against a charity that was clearly out of control. It is beyond doubt now that a small group of trustees at Christ Church were determined to get rid of me at any cost…
“Alumni and donors will be shocked that £6.6 million – money ostensibly earmarked for education – was instead squandered on lawyers and PR agencies.”
The individuals responsible should be held to account, he said, adding: “Christ Church cannot recover from this episode until that happens.”
The commission’s official warning also calls for the college to complete its governance review, led by the Rt Hon Dominic Grieve KC, and keep it informed of its progress. It said that failure to take steps to remedy the misconduct and/or mismanagement may lead to further regulatory action being taken against the charity’s trustees.
Helen Earner, director of regulatory services at the Charity Commission, said: “These long and protracted disputes risked undermining the reputation of Christ Church and harming wider trust in charities.
“It is not for us as regulator to take sides in disputes.
“Our role is to ensure that charities are governed effectively and that charitable funds are properly accounted for. All trustees must demonstrate sound financial stewardship, regardless of the level of resources available to them.”
A spokesman for Christ Church, which was founded in 1546 and has educated 13 UK prime ministers as well as 17 archbishops, said: “In very complex and constantly changing circumstances, trustees made decisions which, having taken professional advice, they judged to be in the best interests of Christ Church.”