Jonathan Dimbleby has resigned from his honorary fellowship at University College London in protest at its treatment of biologist Sir Tim Hunt after he made controversial remarks about women in science.
The broadcaster and writer accused the college of a “disgraceful” rush to judgment in forcing the Nobel prize-winning scientist to quit his honorary fellowship at UCL and urged other fellows to help change the college’s mind.
Dimbleby said: “The college has a long and honourable tradition of defending free speech, however objectionable it may be. Sir Tim made a very poor joke and it quite rightly backfired. He then apologised for that,” he told the Times.
The principle of free speech does not mean you can say whatever you want to with no consequences. “Sir Tim” wasn’t cracking wise at the pub or at a friend’s dinner table – he was doing it at a professional event at a professional conference. He was doing it in his capacity as Big Top Nobel Science Poo-bah. He was doing it, in fact, as among other things an Honorary Professor at UCL. UCL gets to say it doesn’t want him doing that in UCL’s name. UCL says right on the page for honorary academics that it reserves the right to withdraw the honor at any time.
“This is not an offence that should be enough to ensure that a distinguished scientist should be told to resign his position.”
That’s easy for Jonathan Dimbleby to say. He’s not the kind of person who is damaged by entrenched contempt in the work place.
Dimbleby said: “It seems to me the reaction of UCL was totally inappropriate. It was a rush to judgment led by a vociferous social media campaign and I think it is disgraceful.
“The idea that serious grown-up women thinking of pursuing a science career, and thinking of going to UCL to do so, would be put off by an elderly professor saying something silly then apologising for it seems bizarre.”
Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, and scientist Richard Dawkins have already attacked what they saw as an overreaction to Hunt’s remarks.
As have Brendan O’Neill and Louise Mensch. There’s a whole army of reactionaries pitching a fit about this.
I suppose it is the not-serious women scientists, then that Hunt falls in love with, that fall in love with Hunt and cry when Hunt criticizes them? And then if they leave science, no problemo, since they were obviously not serious anyway? Because no serious woman would be put off by any of that? How neat and tidy for him.
Really. What if it was his lab the women were planning on being in? Do they get to be put off it? What if he makes such comments once a month? Would that be enough to allow them to be put off by it? What if it’s once a week? What if it’s once a day? Exactly how often should a woman hear a “silly” comment about how inept she is from her boss before she is allowed to be “put off” by it?
Yes, please more current fellows quit their honourary positions so more women and minorities can be extended the honour that this shit weasel so callously tosses away.
It’s possible I missed an update on the story, but last I heard UCL didn’t force Hunt to resign, he tendered his resignation before they could speak to him. So if Dimbleby objects to that, shouldn’t he want them to refuse to accept his own?
So now we’re supposed to care about what a retired radio host thinks about Tim Hunt? Why don’t we dig up Casey Kasem and get his opinion while we’re at it? Jeeeeez.
That’s easy for Jonathan Dimbleby to say. He’s not the kind of person who is damaged by entrenched contempt in the work place.
The United Kingdom desperately needs an Act to Defend the Rights of Twits with (somewhat) Dickensian Second-Rank Character Names!
Yeah, that was my reaction–we got a twofer!
There’s differing accounts on this one. Hunt says he quit because he’d been told that if he didn’t, they’d kick him out. UCL says that he quit before they spoke to him on the matter. Hunt may have heard through the Old Boy’s Network that he was going to be ousted and decided to save himself the humiliation, and that may or may not have been the case.
Personally, I suspect that UCL was going to demand a sincere and coherent apology (none of this “If I offended anyone” crap, let alone “I meant what I said”), and he was unwilling to provide one at the time, so he bailed–but that’s raw speculation on my part.