Prof Wyn Evans won an employment tribunal that found the University of Cambridge had 'shut down' his whistleblowing complaints and concluded that Vice‑Chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice had 'mishandled' his grievances. Prof Prentice has ordered an independent audit of HR procedures and related processes, to run alongside a separate investigation into Jason Arday's appointment. The tribunal described a 'clear pattern' of attempts to close down complaints and found Evans suffered 'detriments' for his protected disclosures; a remedy hearing will follow.
Cambridge To Audit HR After Tribunal Finds Vice‑Chancellor 'Mishandled' Whistleblower Case
The vice-chancellor has said she asked for 'an audit of our HR procedures and practices' after losing an employment tribunal - Tolga Akmen/Shutterstock
The University of Cambridge has announced an independent review of its human resources procedures after an employment tribunal found the institution had effectively 'shut down' a whistleblower and that Vice‑Chancellor Prof Deborah Prentice had 'mishandled' the professor's complaints.
'Taken together' with the Jason Arday fiasco. a campaign group has said the tribunal raised questions about Prof Deborah Prentice
Tribunal Findings
The case was brought by Prof Wyn Evans, a professor of astrophysics at Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy. He said he was victimised after raising concerns in 2021 about bullying and misogyny, including allegations that Dr Gudrun Tausch‑Pebody, a departmental administrative colleague, had been subjected to hostile treatment by Prof Richard McMahon, then director of the institute.
The tribunal concluded that there had been a 'mishandling' of Prof Evans's complaints by Prof Prentice and found a 'clear pattern' at the university of trying to close down the claimant's grievances and to protect the institution from possible damage arising from protected disclosures.
Prof Wyn Evans claimed that the university had retaliated against his complaints of bullying - Eddie Mulholland
In a unanimous decision the panel found that Prof Evans had been subjected to 'detriments' for having made protected disclosures.
University Response
Prof Prentice, who took up the role of vice‑chancellor in 2023, has said she requested 'an audit of our HR procedures and practices' and an independent review of all relevant university processes. She stated the review will 'operate independently of, but alongside' a separate investigation the university has launched into the appointment and tenure of Jason Arday.
The tribunal panel ruled that there had been a 'mishandling' of the complaints by Prof Deborah Prentice, the vice-chancellor - Denise Applewhite/Princeton University
Prof Prentice acknowledged the tribunal ruling and said: 'These issues began before my time, but they have come to a conclusion on my watch. I want to now ensure that they are assessed thoroughly and independently, and that we can learn from them and make the necessary changes.'
Related Controversy
Separately, Jason Arday, formerly a professor of the sociology of education at Cambridge, resigned following a plagiarism controversy first reported by The Telegraph. Campaign groups have pointed to both matters together as raising questions about university leadership and governance.
Next Steps
The tribunal will now proceed to a remedy hearing to determine appropriate compensation or orders. Meanwhile, Cambridge's independent audit of HR and related procedures is expected to assess how complaints and whistleblowing disclosures are handled and whether systemic changes are needed to protect staff who raise concerns.
Key figures: Prof Wyn Evans (claimant), Prof Deborah Prentice (vice‑chancellor), Prof Richard McMahon (former director, Institute of Astronomy), Dr Gudrun Tausch‑Pebody (staff member named in the complaint), and Jason Arday (in separate appointment controversy).
Help us improve.
