A leading academic, who led a recent government review into the collection of sex and gender data, has threatened legal action against the University of Bristol, claiming it failed to protect his freedom of speech.
Professor Alice Sullivan also wrote to the university regulator, the Office for Students, after a talk she gave at the university was disrupted by a protest over trans rights.
Universities have a legal duty to defend the right to freedom of expression, while balancing it with the right of those who oppose it to protest.
The University of Bristol rejected his claims and said the conversation took place safely – despite “unacceptable interruptions” – in line with its “strong commitment to upholding freedom of expression”.
Universities have a long-standing legal duty to protect the rights of staff, students and visiting speakers to express opinions that others may find offensive.
This has become more evident with a new free speech law in higher education, which came into effect in August in England.
The University of Bristol said all measures it had taken were in support of freedom of expression.
Professor Sullivan’s review for the government, published in March, recommended that data on biological sex and gender identity be recorded as separate categories.
She said she was first invited to speak about her work by an academic at the University of Bristol in July 2024 and agreed to attend an event that fall.
In a new letter to the university, warning that it is prepared to mount a legal challenge, Professor Sullivan said the university had first suggested the event would be held online rather than in person.
When asked by the BBC why she had rejected that offer, Professor Sullivan said she did not realize what the scale of the possible protests would be, but accepted that some people might have strongly opposing views on gender identity and had the right to express them.
“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but that should never amount to a heckler veto, which means shutting down other people’s right to speak,” he said.
“It’s not just about my rights as a visiting speaker, it’s about the rights of the university community to have discussions and for people to come and listen.”
After a further delay, the event was scheduled for October 22, 2025.
When Professor Sullivan arrived, some attendees filmed the protest with their phones in the front of the building.
The videos, seen and verified by the BBC, show some of the protesters making rude gestures while others held signs.
Professor Sullivan told the BBC it was like a “zombie apocalypse” as some protesters pressed against the window with banners and megaphones.
The fire alarm went off more than once, interrupting the conversation, until security staff recommended they move to a higher floor.
When she left after the event, Professor Sullivan said she heard “howls of ‘shame on you, shame on you'”.
Police told the BBC they had attended the event and no arrests had been made.
The letter now sent by Professor Sullivan’s lawyers says the University of Bristol had 15 months to find a safe place on campus for the talk.
He adds that documents released by the university reveal that his network of LGBTQ+ staff had filed complaints against his speech.
Professor Sullivan says she has raised many of her concerns with the Office for Students, which, as the regulator of universities in England, has the power to fine institutions if they fail to respect freedom of expression.
Earlier this year, the OfS imposed a record £585,000 fine on the University of Sussex, warning that its transgender and non-binary inclusion policy had a “chilling effect” on freedom of expression.
Kathleen Stock had previously left her job as a philosophy professor at Sussex following protests against her gender-critical views, which generally say a person’s sex cannot be changed and takes priority over their gender identity.
Following the Sussex fine, the University of Bristol withdrew a similar policy that said all staff were responsible for removing “transphobic and anti-trans material” from campus.
A new law on freedom of expression came into effect in August, strengthening the legal obligations of universities to defend freedom of expression.
The government has not yet started the complaints process promised as part of the stronger powers.
Professor Sullivan told Arif Ahmed, the OfS’s head of freedom of expression, that she is concerned that “gender ideology” has led Bristol to “actions to obstruct and frustrate my speech”.
He told the BBC that senior management at the university “could have apologized and they could have said we intend to do better in the future.”
“That’s what I want from them,” he said.
A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said the conversation took place safely and in line with its “strong commitment to upholding freedom of expression”.
“Although protesters caused unacceptable disruptions, appropriate measures were taken to allow the event to continue and protect the speaker and attendees,” they said.
The university added that the chancellor later met with Professor Sullivan.
“We reject claims that we did not protect her freedom of speech; every action we took was in support of this and the restrictions she describes were all necessary for public safety,” the spokesperson said.
“Our position is clear: freedom of expression must be legal. The law does not protect abusive speech that incites violence, harassment or discrimination.
“Clearly the intimidating behavior of the protesters was not peaceful and we have condemned their unacceptable behaviour.
“We will take disciplinary action if anyone from the university community is identified as being involved.”
