Buckingham v-c reinstated after report clears him of wrongdoing

The vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham has been reinstated after a report cleared him of “a number of serious allegations”.

James Tooley was suspended in October last year pending an investigation at the private institution and has always denied any wrongdoing.

The nature of the concerns raised has never been made public but numerous reports citing sources close to Tooley have claimed they focused on allegations made by his ex-wife and concerned a relationship with a woman in India who was in her twenties at the time.

Buckingham’s vice-chancellor since 2020, Tooley has been an outspoken critic of diversity efforts in higher education and last year launched a new course on “wokeism”. He was previously professor of education policy at Newcastle University. 

A university spokesperson said that it “was made aware of a number of serious allegations involving our vice-chancellor”.

“The nature of the allegations were such that the university had to investigate them and we took the decision to suspend the vice-chancellor, a neutral act pending the outcome of the investigation,” they said.

The spokesperson said that a report had found that the “allegations were not substantiated, and after consideration by council the suspension has been brought to an end”. The university declined to share a copy of the report.

It said it was “liaising with the vice-chancellor in relation to his return to work”. Tooley was contacted for comment.

“Due to the nature of the investigation and to protect the privacy of all parties involved we are unable to disclose specific details regarding the allegations,” added the university spokesperson.

“While this matter has been difficult for all concerned, the university remains completely focused on delivering an exceptional experience for students and staff alike.”

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com