As reported by The Times here and Daily Mail here, Prof Simon Goldhill of King’s College, Cambridge and the Faculty of Classics has been found guilty of sexual and professional misconduct.
The only thing at all surprising about this is Cambridge University has actually managed to find someone guilty.
There have been a series of problems with regard to sexual harassment at Oxford University over the last few years. From Al Jazeera’s ‘Degrees of Abuse’ podcasts to the recent scandals involving the Saïd Business School, the trouser-dropping behaviour of Prof Miles Hewstone and the conviction for rape of Prof Tariq Ramadan, Oxford has built a huge reputation for persistently minimising or overlooking sexual misconduct.
Cambridge is no different to Oxford. It has simply been even more reluctant to admit it has a problem and even more efficient at protecting and covering up harassers. Nothing has leaked — until now thanks to the actions of a brave student who has come forward and exposed Prof Simon Goldhill.
Simon Goldhill has been at King’s College since his undergraduate days in 1978.
Decades of self-mythology — the “beloved maverick,” the “irreplaceable scholar” — were sustained by the College that long found accommodation easier than confrontation. Alongside that sits an unshakeable belief that years of service have purchased permanent insider status for people like Simon Goldhill, beyond the reach of regulations or meaningful accountability.
What follows is typical of Colleges — a culture of tolerance of the unacceptable. Concerns are softened into “misunderstandings,” bullying behaviour is ignored, complaints are absorbed and deflected, reputations are protected at the expense of those with less power. The hierarchy does the rest. Students learn the cost of speaking up. Colleagues learn the value of looking away.
And so the myth endures, not because it is true, but because it is convenient.
It all took place in the Senior Common Room, where Simon Goldhill slobbered on a student, stuck a tongue in her ear, touched her inappropriately and claimed no consent was needed
Goldhill, whose academic works include studies of sexuality in Ancient Greece, admitted kissing the woman, who is in her twenties, in a way that was “over exuberant” and “no doubt slobbery”. The investigation report found he had also stroked the woman’s body, touched the zip on her trousers and put his tongue in her ear. The report said the touching of her ear “could have been unintentional”. It added: “At no time in his evidence did he provide any direct evidence that he had asked for and received consent. His stated belief was that he did not need it for a goodbye kiss or ‘friendly snuggle’.” [The Times]
Simon Goldhill wrote an execrable book called ‘Queer Cambridge’. It’s a hugely misleading title, as it’s really a discussion of privileged well-connected, mostly male intellectual networks at King’s College rather than anything wider. But it does contain a description of Prof Michael Jaffé’s attempted seduction of Prof John Dunn
“For decades King’s had prided itself on the lack of distance between students and fellows, especially when they shared the institutional encouragement of a club or society. They sat quite close together, as the seating space was quite confined, and talked, and had a drink, though neither drank very much. ‘Then Michael leant forward emphatically and put his tongue in my ear.” [‘Queer Cambridge’ by Simon Goldhill]
For Simon Goldhill, a tongue in the ear was always an anecdote told with laughter over wine in the Senior Common Room.
22 Comments
DM · 9 April 2026 at 22:02
University of traitors and perpetrators
Puppylove · 9 April 2026 at 22:21
What is this with tongues in the ear and King’s Fellows? Do they think they are Labradors?
TheResearcher · 9 April 2026 at 22:40
“The only thing at all surprising about this is Cambridge University has actually managed to find someone guilty.”
Was the University that found him guilty or King’s? Put differently, was this the result of an investigation promoted by OSCCA or an internal investigation at King’s College? It makes a big difference. From the description, it seems that the abuses happened in the SCR and thus in college premises, so I would be very surprised if the University would get involved and knowing OSCCA, I would be surprised if they would consider that complaint valid for an investigation. Colleges and the University love to say that they are independent from each other and they use this argument to avoid being involved in the context of misconduct, even if the staff involved belongs to both the college and the university…
Now, is Prof Simon Goldhill still a Fellow at King’s and a Professor at the University after this, or just lost a week of free meals at college as reprimand?
21percent.org · 9 April 2026 at 22:47
The Times article says
“Cambridge commissioned an external consultancy to conduct the investigation which produced a report this February. It concluded that Goldhill had a case to answer under several university policies including the code of behaviour for “sexual misconduct by making unwelcome and unpermitted sexual advances in the form of an embrace, touching and kisses without reasonably believing that [the student] had consented to this behaviour”.
The university told the student that Goldhill was on “amended duties” but added that she was not entitled to know any further details of the disciplinary process.”
This makes it sound as though the University was responsible.
Also, the article says a complaint of professional as well as sexual misconduct was upheld, but there is no information on the professional misconduct.
TheResearcher · 9 April 2026 at 22:56
I do not have access to the article, but by “university” here Times may be confusing college and university as if it the abuses were just in college premises, it is hard to believe that the university would get involved or why King’s would not promote the investigation itself. Anyways, it would be interesting to know the external consultancy, Reveles PD? 😅
21percent.org · 9 April 2026 at 22:57
Try https://archive.is/l7JIX#selection-1481.0-1499.161
TheResearcher · 9 April 2026 at 23:04
Thanks. It seems this story has more to it than what was published and the missing parts may explain why the University got involved (and why it was not mentioned!). For OSCCA to consider the complaint as valid, the evidence must be overwhelming…
keep calm and carry on exposing them · 9 April 2026 at 22:50
Keep up the good work
Oxford + 6 months = Cambridge
21percent.org · 10 April 2026 at 05:09
From Twitter/X
“What the hell kind of SCR is Kings_College running that men can predate over women in it? He’s a well-known predator, people have whispered about it for decades. I hope more women have the courage to come out about his disgusting slobbery behavior over many many years.”
https://x.com/Samantha48515/status/2042402403027226918
TheResearcher · 10 April 2026 at 06:28
What are the Fellows of Kings doing after this? It is not just the victims that need to step forward but the colleagues of the abusers who need to ask for explanations and step forward as well. This said, I wonder who the witnesses of the student are. Perhaps SCR members disgusted by the situation they witnessed? Only with very strong witnesses would OSCCA and the University consider the case valid for an investigation. But again, the parts that are not disclosed on professional misconduct can be particularly damaging for the University.
KingsFellow · 10 April 2026 at 07:00
Statement from King’s College
“We take this matter extremely seriously and would like to offer our sincerest apologies for any discomfort caused. The situation described does not reflect the values or standards we strive to uphold as a community.
That said, the College is constrained by its founding Statutes. At no point in the Statutes does it explicitly state that a Fellow may not sexually abuse a Junior Member of the College. No violation of the Statutes has taken place.
After careful consideration and a thorough review, it has been determined that no further disciplinary action will be taken against Professor Simon Goldhill at this time. We believe this outcome allows all parties to reflect constructively while maintaining the collegial spirit that defines our institution.
We remain committed to fostering an environment of mutual respect, open dialogue, and — where appropriate — a clearer understanding of personal boundaries.“
TheResearcher · 10 April 2026 at 08:01
I really hope this is a joke…
I honestly do not understand how/why Fellows of King’s do not feel ashamed by this situation and do not step forward in case they did not do it yet. But this text reminds me posters that we can all read in the Buttery of Christ’s College and how serious they are about those statements:
“Christ’s College has a legal duty to protect its students and its academic and non-academic staff from sexual harassment, abuse and other inappropriate or unwanted behaviour. We will take immediate and appropriate action to address any such incidents.”
n/a · 10 April 2026 at 08:52
What is surreal is that I cannot tell if it is a joke or not because they really do say things like this. There are emails just like this internally.
All the Kings fellows knew about this and protected Goldhill. And he in turn did their bidding when needed to get them off the hook. People who would surprise you to learn that they were glad to protect a predator.
21percent.org · 10 April 2026 at 09:01
The 21 Group is aware of a serious case in the University where a UTO and Fellow of Trinity Hall was accused of repeated molestation of students
The UTO argued that it was not stated in his employment contract that he should not molest the students.
The University accepted that the argument had legal force & did not dismiss him
That is in fact why intimate, sexual relationships between Cambridge University staff and students were finally prohibited on 1 July 2024, if the staff member has direct or indirect academic or professional responsibility for that student.
The 21 Group have some of the documents — folks, please keep leaking material to contact@21percent.org.
We can change universities for better. We do not have to put up with all this.
We are the University, not they.
TheResearcher · 10 April 2026 at 09:18
According to Daily Mail, the student wrote:
‘Receiving the complaint outcome letter from the university, which essentially said ‘your complaint has been upheld, we will not tell you any consequences we may hand out, goodbye… ‘It felt like a punch in the gut after a harrowing, year-long process. It makes me feel like the university does not take the safety of their students, especially women, seriously’.
This is the Cambridge I know! But someone should tell the student she is lucky for not being investigated and accused of abusive behaviour for damaging the reputation of senior staff and the University itself. The evidence must be really overwhelming. Regardless, nothing prevents the Fellows of King’s to step forward and talk about this because they are responsible for what happens in their SCR!
Fly · 10 April 2026 at 13:48
When were the alleged Trinity Hall abuses taking place (approx dates)?
21percent.org · 10 April 2026 at 15:18
< 2017
No Kings · 10 April 2026 at 13:32
Surely every fellow at King’s knew about this for a long long time. Decades. Yet they remained completely silent – why?
Skandalon · 10 April 2026 at 16:01
One domino falls, the rest are lined up
It is Oxford November 2025 folks
Buckle up hard
Vladimir · 10 April 2026 at 16:19
It feels more like St Petersburg, November 1917 .
We’re looking at multiple “resignations”.
Scapegoats are being lined up by those with sensitive political antennae.
The goats may not even realise yet. Emma Goat has already been scaped.
SPSHR · 10 April 2026 at 16:58
Louise Goat is next
1989 · 10 April 2026 at 16:36
As with all revolutions the secrecy that once served the regime is ultimately what destroys it. The lies and cover ups blind those in power from changing course until far too late….they continue to believe they are loved and admirable by their “People” while facing the rage of the crowd outside their palace