Resignation

Anonymous submitted on

Friday 26th October 2018

Complete

I think for the safety of Emily and the other staff and Sabbs at SUSU and the university, she should resign as president, which is what many students think. I don’t think it’s fair how other members of staff are being personally attacked on their social media accounts for something the president has done, and the comments are disgraceful and unfair

Answers

Let's keep this space positive and respectful! Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions, but please remember to keep the conversation friendly and avoid any offensive comments.

Steve Gore submitted on

Wednesday 19th December 2018

Complete

Hi Anon,

Thank you for your suggestion, and apologies for the length of time it has taken to conclude this You Make Change.

The Students' Union has always been clear that we do not support Emily's comment in question as we recognise that it was deeply insensitive and inappropriate. Following on from the incident, SUSU carried out an internal investigation into whether there was a breach of our HR policy at which point Emily made the decision to resign from her post. We will always challenge extremist or inflammatory language where we find it, in line with our rules and procedures.

We were equally appalled at the treatment that Emily, members of staff, and students received from members of the public online, and we were constantly in touch with University Security as well as Hampshire Constabulary throughout the immediate aftermath to ensure the safety of everyone involved. If you or anyone you know has been affected by this incident then I would encourage you to get in touch with our advice center or speak to one of our sabbatical officers.

If you have any further concerns regarding this please feel free to email me at aupres@soton.ac.uk.

Best wishes,

Steve Gore, Acting President