- An Employment Appeal Tribunal in the United Kingdom has formally dismissed the appeal of Russell Cherrington, a senior lecturer at the University of Derby who was sacked over misogynistic, transphobic, and ableist language.
- The presiding judge ruled that the European Convention on Human Rights does not automatically protect inflammatory or unprofessional speech in unfair dismissal cases, affirming that his comments did not constitute legitimate academic debate.
- Cherrington was terminated in April 2024 following an internal investigation sparked by student grievances, which revealed a pattern of inappropriate remarks, including referring to female students almost exclusively as “females”.
An Employment Appeal Tribunal in the United Kingdom has upheld the dismissal of Russell Cherrington, a former senior lecturer in Film Studies at the University of Derby.
Eko Hot Blog reports Cherrington was terminated from his position after the university concluded that his classroom language and professional conduct were misogynistic, transphobic, and divisive.
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The appeal, which was presided over by Employment Appeal Tribunal Judge Mr Justice Cavanagh, formally dismissed Cherrington’s claims that his constitutional rights under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees freedom of expression, had been violated by the university administration.
In his ruling, Justice Cavanagh explained that rights enshrined under the European Convention on Human Rights do not automatically need to be weighed in every single unfair dismissal proceeding, particularly when the remarks in question do not form part of a legitimate academic line of inquiry or structured educational debate.
The underlying disciplinary case against Cherrington originated in December 2023, following an internal departmental review prompted by notably low student satisfaction scores recorded in the National Student Survey for the Film and High End TV programme.
During subsequent student feedback sessions, four students submitted formal complaints detailing several instances of offensive, inappropriate, and unprofessional language utilized by the lecturer during lectures and practical workshop sessions.
The university immediately placed Cherrington on suspension on December 18, 2023, initiating a formal human resources investigation into his classroom behavior.
The investigation subsequently substantiated several serious allegations, leading the university to classify his actions as gross misconduct.
Among the findings, the tribunal noted that Cherrington demonstrated misogynistic tendencies by consistently or almost exclusively addressing female students in his classes as “females” rather than by their names.
Furthermore, during a module evaluating student creative work, he criticized a student’s music video project by explicitly stating that the lead actress was “not attractive enough for the role”.
When questioned during the disciplinary proceedings, Cherrington did not deny addressing female students as “females,” explaining that he used the term simply because he had failed to learn their individual names.
He also maintained that assessing an actress’s visual appearance for a media role did not constitute harmful behavior. However, additional allegations revealed a wider pattern of problematic language.
The tribunal heard testimony that Cherrington admitted asking a student whether wearing certain nail polish in past years would have resulted in being called a slur.
Furthermore, he was cited for using transphobic language after referring to a transitioning student as a “troublesome trans kid,” although Cherrington contested the remark, claiming he had mentioned the student to illustrate his willingness to support individuals from all backgrounds.
The tribunal also addressed allegations of ableism after Cherrington reportedly remarked during a script review that universities were becoming “a care home for people with disabilities”.
Despite having a previously unblemished disciplinary record over his 13-year employment history at the university, Cherrington was formally terminated in April 2024 for gross misconduct.
Although he submitted a list of eight students who could speak to his teaching competence and professional demeanor, the professor leading the disciplinary panel chose not to contact them, ruling that positive testimonials could not offset documented instances of inappropriate and unprofessional language.
After an initial employment tribunal upheld his firing, Cherrington escalated his appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal, arguing that his academic freedom of expression had been infringed.
However, the appellate judge concluded that the university acted well within its lawful authority to enforce professional standards, ultimately dismissing the appeal in full.
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