Oxford college dean at centre of lengthy dispute to step down

The dean of a University of Oxford college who had been locked in a long-running dispute with its fellows is to step down, reportedly with a substantial pay-off.

Martyn Percy will step down as dean of Christ Church, Oxford on 26 April under a settlement that means that disciplinary proceedings against him have been dropped. The college will also pay the Very Revd Percy’s legal fees and compensation which, according to The Times, are likely to total more than £1 million.

The dispute now stretches back four years and led Lord Patten, Oxford’s chancellor, to express concern about the impact on the university’s reputation, and the Charity Commission to warn that the acrimony was damaging the college’s ability to govern itself.

Revd Percy was originally suspended in 2018 in a dispute over his pay and efforts to reform college governance. The following summer a college tribunal chaired by a retired high court judge cleared the dean of “immoral, scandalous and disgraceful” behaviour but efforts to remove him continued.

Revd Percy was suspended again in 2020 when a woman accused him of sexual harassment, claiming that he had stroked her hair – allegations which he denied, and which police and the Church of England had declined to pursue.

Alongside the settlement with its dean, Christ Church said that the woman who accused Revd Percy of harassment “has settled her claim with the dean, on terms which, at her request, are confidential”.

The college also said that it would commission a review of its policies and procedures in relation to sexual harassment, which will be led by an independent expert.

In a statement, Revd Percy said that despite “the trials and troubles over the last four years, we will miss Christ Church enormously”.

“We sincerely wish Christ Church well for the future, and will hope and pray that the governance reforms will be both effective and welcome when they are implemented,” he said.

In a separate statement, the woman who brought the sexual harassment claim against Revd Percy said that she had had “to accept, incredibly reluctantly, that it is my word against his that the incident took place”.

“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,” she said.

“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.”

The college said that it had “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.”

The college added that it was “deeply sorry for the hurt that this individual [making the harassment allegation] has suffered and we regret the time that it has taken to bring these matters concerning the dean to a conclusion”.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com