A university has banned a study on transgender people who regret changing sex, calling it ‘politically incorrect’.

Bath Spa University blocked the project because it feared a backlash on the internet could damage its reputation.

Psychotherapist James Caspian had wanted to examine cases of people who had surgery to reverse gender reassignment. But the proposal was rejected by the university’s ethics sub-committee on the grounds that it could come across as transphobic.

Mr Caspian, 58, accused the institution of failing to uphold ‘the most basic tenets of academic and intellectual freedom of inquiry’.

Bath Spa University (pictured) blocked the project because it feared a backlash on the internet could damage its reputation

In the rejection letter, the university told him: ‘Engaging in a potentially “politically incorrect” piece of research carries a risk to the university.

‘Attacks on social media may not be confined to the researcher but may involve the university. The posting of unpleasant material on blogs or social media may be detrimental to the reputation of the university.’

The project would have counted towards Mr Caspian’s master’s degree in counselling and psychotherapy. He has 16 years’ experience as a counsellor.

Although it was initially given the go-ahead by Bath Spa, it was rejected after Mr Caspian amended his proposal in a bid to find more people to participate in the study.

Mr Caspian had wanted to post a request on an online trans forum for people working in the field.

He also asked if his study could include women who had transitioned to men and reverted to living as women without reversing their surgery. But both requests were denied.

Mr Caspian said: ‘It’s ridiculous. I’m in my late fifties, I’m an expert in my field and I’m not even on social media. I’m not frightened at all. Asking questions is not a hate crime.’

Speaking to The Times, he added: ‘Where would stand the reputation of a university that cannot follow the most basic tenets of academic and intellectual freedom of inquiry?’ Bath Spa University said it was unable to comment while Mr Caspian’s complaint was being investigated.

A private school headmistress no longer calls female pupils ‘girls’ out of respect for trans students. Sally-Anne Huang, head of £17,265-a-year James Allen’s Girls’ School in South London, said: ‘I try not to say “girls”, but when you’ve been teaching for 20 years it’s very hard.’ Instead, she uses the term ‘pupils’ and the pronoun ‘they’.