Cumulative page views for the 21 Group blog are shown. It’s fair to say that the Tribunal is generating much interest. Half of all sessions since the launch of the site happened in the last 6 months.
The matter has now been picked up by the Daily Mail here.
Tribunal continues today with further cross-examination of Prof McMahon.
If you comment, please do so factually and respectfully
Any comments that have been temporarily held back will be released after the end of the Tribunal on the grounds of Freedom of Speech.
15 Comments
Anon · 17 June 2026 at 09:19
When the dust settles (or perhaps sooner) there is certainly a debate to be had about standards of higher education governance. In theory the Council are Trustees of the charity, and responsive to the Regent House (university members): but it seems they have allowed the Executive to act without appropriate authority in many instances requiring their consent (e.g. regarding the case at High Court last year). Legally it is the Council where responsibility lies hence one wonders whether this fact was clearly understood by or explained to the Trustees themselves.
& · 17 June 2026 at 10:00
That, and the fact that a large share of regents voted for Wyn in the Chancellorship race last year. It all raises the question, of – who is it that truly represents the university? The lawyers and their nameless PR spokespersons? Or Wyn and the students and faculty in this group? Who really has the right to say that they are Cambridge?
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 09:35
I just posted this new link in the previous post as I had not noticed a new one was out. I think it is fair to say that there will be a lot of news about this case in the next coming days, which unexpectedly, the University did not see it coming…
https://streamlinefeed.co.ke/news/cambridge-astronomy-institute-plagued-by-misogyny-and-bullying-tribunal-hears
“Broader Implications for Elite Academia
The trial peels back the curtain on the insular, highly hierarchical nature of elite global universities, where tenured professors and departmental directors often wield unchecked power over contracts, funding, and the careers of junior staff. For academic institutions worldwide, including rapidly expanding research hubs in East Africa, the Cambridge saga serves as a grim warning about the dangers of prioritizing academic prestige over fundamental workplace safety.
When mechanisms for reporting abuse fail, or when whistleblowers are perceived to be punished for speaking out, toxic behaviors become institutionalized. The outcome of the Bury St Edmunds tribunal will have profound ramifications, not just for Evans and the Institute of Astronomy, but for the broader movement demanding accountability and gender equity within the highest echelons of the STEM fields.
As the legal teams prepare their closing arguments, the scientific community watches closely. Whether the tribunal sides with the whistleblower or the university administration, the reputational damage to the Institute of Astronomy has already been starkly illuminated.”
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 10:00
Vice Chancellor Vennells, back in the days when only 3 people commented in the 21 Group!
https://21percent.org/?p=966
Oh, the night · 17 June 2026 at 15:41
Oh, the night is my world
City light painted girl
In the day, nothing matters
It’s the nighttime that flatters
In the night, no control
Through the wall something’s breaking
Wearing white as you’re walkin’
Down the street of my soul
You take my self, you take my self-control
You got me livin’ only for the night
Before the morning comes, the story’s told
You take my self, you take my self control
Another night, another day goes by
I never stop myself to wonder why
You help me to forget to play my role
You take my self, you take my self control
-Deborah Prentice
Wisdom of the Crowd? · 17 June 2026 at 12:37
Kind of amazing when you compare the 350,000 views for this blog to the 1,600 views of the university’s “dignity at work” youtube video (comments disabled!) Guess people have decided for themselves who to trust.
And probably half of those too were just redirects from someone satirising it in one of the comment sections here…
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 13:52
I believe you mean the humiliation video… it is always a good opportunity to paste it for people to remember who the individuals involved are, namely in case it is their first time in the 21 Group…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pizOGdQK4tE
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 13:54
8 likes and counting…
SH · 17 June 2026 at 15:55
Is there any update on the witness schedule?
Anonymous · 17 June 2026 at 17:48
I think Rampton is going up for cross examination tomorrow.
That is the first of the senior administrative officers up for questioning.
Addyman · 17 June 2026 at 18:20
Yes, confirmed in court. I think I heard it’s Rampton, then back to Akroyd
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 18:24
And then Ms Louise Akroyd will be cross examined again! Do not miss this cross examination please, it is a must watch to all members of the School of Physical Sciences.
On a related noted, the University noted today that Ms Rampton has a new job… Probably was after this striking reference letter! I would put this in my CV if the Vice-Chancellor said this nice words about me. Sadly, the VC does not even reply to me despite being a student of her college!
https://www.cam.ac.uk/notices/news/update-on-university-registrary
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 16:11
The Lead HR Business Partner Ms Louise Akroyd claimed today that she does not keep notes of the informal HR meetings she is involved and the advice she provides therein.
This was a very unexpected statement for me given that she did write notes in the meetings with me at DAMTP, and directly to her laptop she brought with her. Perhaps the KC of Wyn Evans can ask her tomorrow if she remembers any exceptions to that statement she did today.
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 19:16
The Uni really did not see this coming? New article from Daily Mail:
“‘Wicked’ university boss blamed for being part of culture of misogyny at prestigious astronomy institute which saw female colleagues hounded out, tribunal hears”
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15908225/Wicked-university-boss-blamed-culture-misogyny-prestigious-astronomy-institute-saw-female-colleagues-hounded-tribunal-hears.html
TheResearcher · 17 June 2026 at 19:58
The good publicity continues…
“A Defining Moment For Cambridge
The University of Cambridge has spent centuries building a reputation as one of the world’s great centres of learning.
Its graduates have won Nobel Prizes, transformed scientific understanding and shaped political history.
Yet institutions are judged not only by their achievements but also by how they respond to criticism.
The tribunal has not yet reached conclusions regarding the allegations before it. Cambridge and those accused continue to deny wrongdoing, and the legal process remains ongoing.
But regardless of the eventual verdict, the proceedings have already exposed deep divisions within one of Britain’s most prestigious academic communities.
The case raises fundamental questions about how universities handle complaints, support staff and protect those who speak out.
For an institution devoted to the pursuit of truth, those questions may prove as significant as any scientific mystery explored within its observatories.
The challenge facing the University of Cambridge cannot be solved through equations, telescopes or theories of the cosmos.
It is a challenge of trust. And the outcome may shape not only reputations, but the future culture of one of the world’s most influential centres of research”
https://theeyeofmedia.com/cambridge-university-faces-claims-of-misogyny-and-bullying-amid-whistleblower-retaliation/