Durham SU accused of ‘censorious behaviour’ after banning Durham Union from Freshers’ Fair

Durham SU claimed the union ‘failed to keep its promise’ of improving

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A free speech row has taken over Durham University after Durham Union Society was barred from participating in the annual Freshers’ Fair.

Previously accusing the society of allowing racism and misogyny, the SU claimed it did not allow the debating society into the fair as it “failed to keep its promise” of improving.

The decision has since been branded as “censorious behaviour” by Toby Young, the leader of a free speech group.

Run annually by Durham University Students’ Union, Freshers Fair is a way for hundreds of sports and societies to recruit new members from the fresh intake of students.

This year, Durham Union Society was not granted a space at the fair due to a pattern of behaviour, after the SU previously accused it of allowing racism and misogyny to take place, after an incident last year where a student was allegedly subjected to a racial slur.

A separate entity not actually affiliated with Durham SU, both the union and SU entered an agreement last year which outlined how future collaboration would depend on the debating society improving its track record on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Being independent from university, Durham Union Society is not guaranteed the same benefits of typical societies, meaning the SU had no formal obligations towards it.

Durham SU claimed that Durham Union had not bettered their standards of practice since this agreement.

Durham Students’ Union told The Telegraph that the debating society had “failed to keep its promise and it is for that reason only that [we] didn’t accept the request from [Durham Union Society] to advertise at our Freshers’ Fair.”

Made up of over 3,000 members, mostly students and ex-students, the society is also open to local residents and others.

A free speech group has since accused Durham Students’ Union of “censorious behaviour”, and claimed that its decision to bar Durham Union Society from attending the Freshers’ Fair was “because it isn’t Left-wing enough”.

Toby Young, leader of the Free Speech Union, claimed the SU had been “excluded from the key recruitment event of the academic year” in a letter to Professor Karen O’Brien, Durham University’s vice-chancellor.

Suggesting the move violated the university’s legal duty to protect free speech within the law, Toby added: “As things stand, it is now incumbent on the university to ensure that the situation is rectified.”

Durham University has since provided Durham Union society with a prominent alternative venue.

In a statement, Durham Union Society said: “The university has a legal obligation to secure freedom of speech on campus and we’re pleased that the pro-vice chancellor accordingly made an alternative space available for us to advertise to new students.

“The union is committed to fight racism and has dealt with it with the utmost severity, having previously suspended and expelled members on multiple occasions in the past year, as well introducing a zero-tolerance officers’ code of conduct. This effort is recognised by the students community, which has been swelling the membership figures over the last three years.”

Durham Student Union said in a statement that it “believes strongly in freedom of speech and has never, and would never, take any action to disadvantage one of its student groups on the basis of lawful beliefs, opinions, policies, or ideas”.

It added: “There are no examples to the contrary. We work closely with Durham University, every day, to ensure that students find and share new thinking and experiences.

“We support over 300 student groups, of astonishing cultural, philosophical, political, and religious diversity, who frequently disagree with each other, and with the students’ union. We love it, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Durham Student Union doesn’t disagree with any of the lawful beliefs, opinions, policies, or ideas of Durham Union Society, which [despite the name] is not a student society at Durham University or Durham Student Union. The Durham Union Society trustees have never alleged any such disagreement. The Free Speech Union has not identified any such disagreement.

“As an act of goodwill, in September 2023, we welcomed it to our freshers’ fair in recognition of the importance of this promise to be better. But in September 2024, it informed us that it had failed to keep its promise, and it is for that reason only that Durham SU didn’t accept the request from DUS to advertise at our freshers’ fair. That has been, transparently, for the past 12 months, the terms of our agreement with DUS.”

A Durham University spokesperson said: “Durham Union Society and Durham Students Union are independent organisations. In the interests of all our students, Durham University has urged repeatedly that Durham Students’ Union settle their differences with the Durham Union Society.

“Durham University will work with Durham Union Society to ensure it can promote the Society to new students.

“Durham University is committed to freedom of expression within the law, and works relentlessly to encourage, nurture and promote free debate and exchange of ideas, including supporting the rescheduling of the postponed debate.

“The Freshers’ Fair is operated and managed by Durham Students’ Union. It is for Durham Students’ Union to explain any decision regarding participation or non-participation at their Freshers’ Fair.

“Durham University has, on numerous occasions, urged Durham Students’ Union to reach an understanding with the Durham Union Society.

“As a university, while respecting the independence of Durham Students’ Union to manage the Freshers’ Fair, we will support the Durham Union Society in informing incoming students about their offer.

“We have already told Durham Union Society we will work with them to make an available a space to promote the Society to new students, and this offer has been acknowledged and welcomed by the society.

“This is on the understanding that Durham Union Society is, as we believe it is, working to deliver the diverse and inclusive community we aspire to right across the university. This is of high importance.”

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