St Andrews rector barred from graduations over legal action

The rector of the University of St Andrews, who was removed from its governing body after accusing Israel of genocide, has been barred from attending graduation ceremonies because she has launched a legal action against the institution.

Stella Maris was stripped of her role as a trustee earlier this year after an independent investigation found that her letter to students condemning Israeli attacks in Gaza as “war crimes” had provoked “anxiety and fear” among Jewish learners.

She has now launched a judicial review against this decision, leading to St Andrews’ principal, Dame Sally Mapstone, telling her that it would “inappropriate” for her to attend graduation ceremonies held on 3 December.

In a message to students, Ms Maris – herself a St Andrews graduate – claimed that her exclusion was “a continued and unjustified restriction on my ability to carry out my responsibilities as your elected rector”.

She said that she considered it her “duty” as rector to attend graduation ceremonies, and that she remained “committed to serving and supporting our community”.

In response, a university statement said that the rector “does not have an automatic right to attend graduation” and expressed concern that Ms Maris “continue[s] to repeat the false assertion that she was discharged from university court because she spoke out against Israeli aggression in Gaza”.

Instead, the university said, she was removed from the court because she “repeatedly and knowingly placed herself in breach of the code of conduct for members, and her legal responsibilities as a court member and charity trustee”, and had refused to apologise or join mediation.

“Ms Maris is currently engaged in legal action against the university. In these circumstances, the principal considered it was not appropriate to invite her to attend graduation, which should be a day focused on the achievements of graduates,” St Andrews said.

The independent investigation, conducted by Morag Ross KC, found that Ms Maris “did not act in the interests of the university” and that, while her statement was not antisemitic, it “risked generating antisemitic sentiment”. However, the investigation found that to dismiss her entirely would be “disproportionate” and her term as rector will continue until October 2026.

St Andrews’ actions against Ms Maris attracted criticism from some academics, with the University and College Union describing her exclusion from the court as an “egregious attack on freedom of expression and academic freedom”.

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com