University of Birmingham professor accuses colleague of sexual assault and grooming

A professor at the University of Birmingham has accused his colleague of sexual assault and grooming.

The claims have come against an “extrovert” female colleague who patted him on the bottom and asked: “How are you, Chuck?”

He also said that the same co-worker, known as Ms X, “caused her breasts to rub up against him when sitting next to him at a crowded lunch table” whilst at an overseas conference.

Dr Peter Lee had worked at the university since 1994, becoming an associate professor in the school of geography, earth and environmental sciences in the summer of 2018.

According to The Telegraph, Dr. Lee formally complained to university management about his colleague’s behaviour, claiming he had been the victim of “sexual grooming, sexual harassment, and sexual assault.” However, when his concerns were dismissed, he accused the institution of not taking his allegations seriously because he was “a man and was alleging sexual harassment by a woman.” He later sued the university for £500,000.

The tribunal dismissed his claims, stating that Dr Lee was “unable to ‘agree to disagree'” in regards to the university’s handling of the case.

After reviewing messages exchanged between 2017 and 2019, the tribunal determined that Dr. Lee and Ms. X—also referred to in the judgment as BCD—had a friendly rapport. Dr. Lee, however, insisted that hundreds of these interactions were “sexually harassing” and constituted sexual “grooming.”

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He also asserted that Ms. X sexually assaulted him in public during a work conference in Montreal in September 2019. The tribunal’s judgment stated: “According to [Dr Lee], the alleged assaults consisted, first, of BCD greeting him by saying something like, ‘How are you, chuck?’ and patting him on the bottom; and secondly, of her causing her breasts to rub up against him when sitting next to him at a crowded lunch table.”

These allegations, however, were not corroborated by witnesses, including Ms. X herself. The tribunal heard that she described her messages to Dr. Lee as “jocular and containing content which could be interpreted as mildly sexual.” She further explained that she was an extroverted person, acknowledging that her mannerisms might be perceived as intimidating by someone more introverted.

Addressing the lunch table claim, the tribunal observed: “There was a space on the table which [Dr. Lee] was at, and she had the choice of either sitting with her colleagues or starting a new table, which would have been uncomfortable for her and would also deliver a bad message about collegiality at the University. She therefore sat on [his] table.”

Prior to making allegations against Ms. X, Dr. Lee had previously submitted two grievances regarding unrelated matters at the university, both of which were dismissed. In September 2020, he filed another complaint that included his accusations against Ms. X.

Following an investigation, the university determined that disciplinary action against Ms. X was not warranted. However, Dr. Lee persisted with his complaints, frequently sending long letters and emails to Zoe Oakes, the university’s assistant director of HR.

By May 2022, Dr. Lee took legal action against the university, alleging sex discrimination, victimisation, and detriment for making protected disclosures. A year later, in April 2023, he retired at the age of 60, citing partial incapacity due to ill health.

In dismissing his claims, Employment Judge Christopher Camp remarked that the panel found his assertion of “sexual grooming” to be “difficult to reconcile” with the available evidence. The tribunal ultimately ruled that there was no indication Dr. Lee had been treated unfairly compared to how a woman in a similar situation would have been.

Featured image via Sid Davo on Creative Commons