A university risks breaking the law with a woke employment policy aimed at staff seeking promotion, it has been warned.
Academics at King’s College London who apply for posts as professors or readers are asked to give evidence of how they ‘create an inclusive environment where colleagues are valued and able to succeed.
‘This might include: educating yourself about issues of equality, diversity and inclusion and how exclusion occurs’.
It comes after the university was accused of requiring staff to show support for LGBT charity Stonewall to win a promotion.
Free speech and women’s rights groups, backed by human rights lawyer Akua Reindorf KC, criticised the move, saying equality law was misinterpreted.
Ms Reindorf wrote: ‘It is likely to be unlawful for KCL to place a requirement upon applicants for promotion that they demonstrate their support of the university’s ‘equality, diversity and inclusion ambitions’.’
Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at charity Sex Matters, said the legal opinion means the university ‘must urgently review its promotion and hiring policies’.
A King’s College London spokesman said: ‘We’re proud of the work we’ve done to build an inclusive atmosphere on campus in collaboration with our staff networks and EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] experts.
‘We regularly review all university policies to ensure compliance with changing laws.’
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Alex Ward Social Affairs Correspondent
