Christ Church confirms successful conclusion of mediation with the Dean

Statement by Christ Church: 

A process of mediation has been taking place to try to resolve a number of outstanding issues between the Dean of Christ Church and the Governing Body.  

This includes an allegation of sexual harassment made against the Dean.   

Christ Church has always regarded the safety and well-being of its students and staff as its highest priority. Any such allegation will always be thoroughly investigated and addressed, whilst respecting the right to a fair hearing for the accused.  

We made clear throughout the various dispute processes with the Dean that no resolution could be reached unless the concerns of the individual making the allegation of sexual harassment against him were fully addressed.  

Christ Church can now confirm that the mediation process has been concluded and that a resolution has been reached that is acceptable to all parties. 

The Dean has agreed to step down, voluntarily, from his role as Dean of Christ Church, and the individual who made the allegation of sexual harassment against the Dean has agreed to settle her claim on terms which on her request are confidential.  

At the request of the individual concerned, Christ Church will within twelve months commission a comprehensive review of its policies and procedures in relation to sexual harassment to be led by an independent expert. This review will ensure that any future cases are dealt with fairly and expeditiously. 

We are grateful to the individual involved that they have agreed to work with us to ensure that these procedures fully reflect the experience they endured. The review will seek to strengthen further those measures which Christ Church already has in place to protect the students and staff, and to ensure that a safe environment for teaching and learning is maintained.  

Christ Church is deeply sorry for the hurt that this individual has suffered and we regret the time that it has taken to bring these matters concerning the Dean to a conclusion. 

Statement by ‘X’ 

In October 2020 I brought a claim of sexual harassment against the Dean of Christ Church. 

The Dean has always denied this claim. He has also denied that he victimised me including after I brought Employment Tribunal proceedings against him.  

I have to accept, incredibly reluctantly, that it is my word against his that the incident took place. I am acutely aware that this is a situation faced by many women who bring complaints of a sexual nature. Sadly, the various processes that have followed have not altered this situation. However, I want to acknowledge that Christ Church, to their credit, has always supported my right to make this complaint. 

I know what I experienced on that day and I want to ensure that no other student or member of staff has to go through the ordeal that I have. 

I am pleased that the Dean has agreed to step down from his role at Christ Church and, in return, I have agreed to settle my outstanding claims against him. 

I am reassured that Christ Church has begun the important work of ensuring that its practices and policies provide the best possible support and protection for all members of its community. I will be working with Christ Church to ensure that whatever changes they adopt take into account my experiences. 

I sincerely hope that in some way this will help to ensure that other students and staff avoid the distress that I have experienced. 

I would like to thank Christ Church for bringing about a resolution to my complaint against the Dean. 

Of course, I wish that a resolution could have been achieved more quickly and without the pain and stress I have endured, so that the sense of injustice I have long felt could have been, if not entirely eradicated, made more bearable.  

The resolution that has now been reached brings the matter to a formal close, and I hope that we can all move forward in a positive manner.