Dear CLS community,
Here is the letter from Scottish academics to Malcolm Gillies.
In solidarity,
Phil
________________________________
From: Philip Taylor
Sent: 27 February 2013 00:00
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Letter from Scottish Academics
To Professor Malcolm Gillies, PhD, DMus, FAHA, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of London Metropolitan University
26 February 2013
By way of introduction, we are academics and researchers working in Universities and other organisations based in Scotland. It is with great surprise and dismay that we read that Jawad Botmeh, Max Watson and Steve Jefferys have been suspended from work at the Working Lives Research Institute at London Metropolitan University. We understand that the suspensions arise out of Jawad's unfair conviction in 1996 for conspiracy to cause explosions. The pretext for the suspensions is that Jawad's conviction was somehow concealed from the University at the time of his appointment as a temporary administrator in 2008. It is widely known that Jawad has never attempted to conceal his conviction, particularly given the very public circumstances of his case and of the high profile campaign to prove his innocence.
What we find most disturbing is that Jawad was appointed in 2008 and yet it is only now, in 2013, that London Metropolitan University has decided to pursue a case against him, Max Watson and Steve Jefferys. At no time during the intervening period had HR raised objection to, or questioned the legitimacy of, Jawad's appointment. Issues relating to his citizenship had been satisfactorily resolved shortly after his appointment.
It certainly seems that Jawad's election to the post of staff representative on the Board of Governors has precipitated the action against him. Similarly, it would appear that Max Watson's suspension, apparently for sitting on Jawad’s appointment panel in a junior capacity, is connected with his role as Branch Chair of Unison. In both cases it is clear that they were democratically and openly elected by University employees.
We call upon London Metropolitan University to lift these suspensions.
Professor Philip Taylor, University of Strathclyde
Professor Andrew Watterson, University of Stirling
Dr. Carlo Morelli, University of Dundee
Dr. Kirsty Newsome, University of Strathclyde
Dr. Satnam Virdee, University of Glasgow
Professor Andrew Cumbers, University of Glasgow
Professor Dora Scholarios, University of Strathclyde
Professor Iain Ferguson, University of Paisley
Dr. Patricia McCafferty, University of Strathclyde
Professor Paul Stewart, University of Strathclyde
Dr. Neil Davidson, University of Strathclyde
Kay Gilbert, University of Strathclyde
Tommy Gorman, University of Stirling
Professor Christine Cooper, University of Strathclyde
(All in a personal capacity)
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