Bristol Uni reported for not protecting academic freedom after false Islamophobia accusations

The University of Bristol has been reported to the Office for Students for allegedly not protecting academic freedom.

This comes as retired a Bristol Uni law professor accused the university of failing to uphold academic freedom after he was falsely accused of Islamophobia.

In 2021, Professor Steven Greer was subject to an official complaint and a social media campaign against him, led by the University of Bristol Islamic Society (BRISOC). The campaign, now referred to by some as the “BRISOC scandal”,  called for the dismissal of Professor Greer, and the scrapping of his module, “Islam, China and the Far East”.

The professor, who lectured for 36 years, was exonerated by a university-led inquiry in 2021 following a five-month investigation. However, his module was permanently cut from the curriculum.

12 organisations have reported the University of Bristol to the Office for Students

This week, 12 academic and free speech organisations, including the Free Speech Union, the Oxford Institute for British Islam and the Global Hindu Federation, have referred the university to the Office for Students (OfS), to investigate what they have called a “catastrophic failure” to protect academic freedom. The OfS is the independent regulator for higher education in England and has the authority to investigate universities, enforce standards, and issue financial penalties.

The referral letter alleges multiple governance and managerial failings, including the university’s supposed “failure to take reasonable steps to protect Professor Greer from BRISOC’s… social media campaign by, for example, disciplining those involved”. They also say that Bristol’s handling of Professor Greer’s case could have a negative impact on lawful debate, particularly around sensitive or controversial topics like religion.

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The case has also been compared that of Kathleen Stock, a lecturer from the University of Sussex who was accused of transphobia in 2018. Her case was referred to OfS and the University of Sussex was ultimately fined £585,000.

What led to the ‘BRISOC scandal’?

The controversy started when Professor Greer discussed the 2015 Charlie Hedbo attacks in Paris with students taking his human rights module. Journalists at Charlie Hedbo, a satirical magazine, were murdered in a terror attack following the publication of a caricature of the Prophet Muhammed.

Months later, a complaint was submitted by a student who had not attended the class. The university typically enforces a three month complaint deadline, however, the process proceeded.

In February 2021, BRISOC shared the complaint publicly on social media alongside an image of Professor Greer, a breach of the confidentiality of the complaints process. The post claimed that law students had reported Professor Greer expressed views in classes that could be deemed “Islamophobic, bigoted, and divisive”.

A later post included allegations from anonymous students who described Professor Greer’s teaching style as making them feel “incredibly uncomfortable”, “other-ed”, and “upset”. Professor Greer refutes these allegations, claiming they were “strongly contested by evidence submitted to the inquiry by named students who had attended the classes in question.”

A petition made by BRISOC calling for his dismissal gathered over 4,000 signatures.

This prompted a wave of criticism, hostile emails, and online backlash directed at the professor who said he was so concerned for his safety that he left his home.

Professor Greer was found not guilty of any misconduct by Bristol Uni following the Islamophobia allegations

Following the investigation, in July 2021, the university concluded that Professor Greer was not guilty of any misconduct and he was acquitted. The finding was later unanimously upheld on appeal by a panel of senior Bristol academics.

A King’s Council (KC) lawyer also independently supported this conclusion. A KC is a barrister or solicitor who has been recognised for excellence in advocacy and generally takes on more complex cases that require a higher level of legal expertise.

A Bristol Uni statement released in October 2021 regarding the Islamophobia accusations said that the KC found “no evidence of Islamophobic speech and concluded that the material did not amount to discrimination or harassment and was intended as the basis for academic debate by the students who elected to study it.  In addition, the issues discussed in relation to Islam were within the scope of the curriculum and therefore exempt from constituting harassment or discrimination under the Equality Act 2010”.

Despite being cleared of any misconduct, the university permanently removed the module at the centre of the complaint. In a statement, the University of Bristol said the module was withdrawn to “reflect student concerns”, a decision Professor Greer later said “implicitly undermined” the findings of the investigation.

Following this, Professor Greer retired in 2022, as he had planned to do before the complaint was made. He has described the university’s handling of the situation as a “failure of leadership, due process, and commitment to academic freedom.” The former Bristol Uni professor has also since written and published a book “Falsely Accused of Islamophobia: My Struggle Against Academic Cancellation” and a sequel, “Islamophobia and Free Speech” which is due to be published later this year.

If the OfS rules in Greer’s favour, it could lead to public censure or fines for the University of Bristol.

Professor Greer told The Bristol Tab: “In July 2021 I was resoundingly exonerated by a University of Bristol inquiry from all BRISOC’s confected accusations of Islamophobia.

“Defying this verdict, the university nevertheless took the Islam, China and the Far East module at the heart of the accusations off my human rights course in order to ‘respect student sensitivities’. Not long after I was appointed the first Research Director at the Oxford Institute for British Islam, an independent progressive Muslim think tank.

“In June 2025 a dozen free speech and minority religious organisations referred the University to the Office for Students alleging serious defects in governance and management with respect to its handling of the BRISOC scandal and other cases. The result is eagerly awaited.”

BRISOC has been approached for comment. The University of Bristol declined to comment.

Featured image via SWNS