University of Oxford academic loses nine-year legal battle after trying to kiss female colleague

An academic has lost a nine-year legal battle against the University of Oxford following a “clumsy kiss” with a female colleague.

Dr Oleg Iourin sued the University of Oxford for discrimination after he was told to attend equality and diversity training. An employment tribunal finally ruled that the University of Oxford did not discriminate against him.

Dr Iourin worked at the University of Oxford as a postdoctoral research scientist in structural biology since 1994. In 2016, a female coworker claimed he tried to kiss her after driving her home. Dr Iourin then gave her flowers. He left a note on her computer which read: “I have been a bit clumsy. Sorry. Hope you are not irritated.”

The University of Oxford investigated the issue. Dr Iourin argued his actions should be seen as “goodwill gestures between friends”. He defended his behaviour by asking, “Can an attempt to kiss your friend after providing a lift home be harassment?”

A University of Oxford report said: “The chocolates and note from [Dr Iourin] indicate a degree of remorse and embarrassment consistent with an attempted ‘clumsy’ kiss and also indicate a personality that is not likely to be aggressive in our view.” The university cleared him of sexual harassment, but decided his actions were “unwanted conduct”. He was told to attend an  “equality and diversity” training course called “anti-harassment and bullying in the workplace”.

The Division of Structural Biology at the University of Oxford
(Credit: Google Maps)

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In 2018, Dr Iourin launched complaints against the University of Oxford. He claimed that sending him on this course was sex discrimination, disability discrimination and victimisation. Dr Iourin said the training course was “humiliating and insulting” as he had “proved his innocence” and been cleared of sexual harassment.

The first employment tribunal in 2020 ruled that it was not discrimination for the University of Oxford to send Dr Iourin on the course. He appealed this. The Employment Appeal Tribunal in 2023 dismissed the disability discrimination claim. But the court found that the first tribunal had incorrectly formed their conclusion on a belief that he had been found guilty of sexual harassment.

Another recent tribunal has concluded that the University of Oxford did not discriminate against Dr Iourin. He lost the case.

The judge Naomi Shastri-Hurst said: “In terms of the labelling of the training as ‘anti-harassment and bullying in the workplace’ we consider that this may be a clumsy title. This is particularly so in the context of [Dr Iourin] having been explicitly acquitted of acts of harassment.

“However, it does not demonstrate to us something more from which we could draw an inference of discrimination, given that the nature of the training is, as we have said, much broader.”

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Featured image of Dr Iourin via the University of Oxford website.