Oxford professor Selina Todd needing protection against threats from trans activists

UK — Oxford. An Oxford University professor has been given security guards to accompany her to lectures after receiving threats from transgender activists.

Prof Selina Todd, a historian who specialises in the lives of women and the working class, was told by her students that she was potentially in danger.

Speaking on BBC Radio, the professor said: “When I first heard about the threats, the thing that worried me was that I knew from my experience of speaking at women’s rights meetings that sometimes there had been attempts to disrupt those meetings.

“I was also struck that the university rightly I think did its own quick investigation and was convinced there was enough evidence to provide protection in the lectures.”

She tweeted: “I understand those sceptical abt how serious threats made towards me were/are. As a historian, I like robust evidence. But on basis of limited info me and my employer could get, we decided not to wait and see if I’d get hit in the face like @bindelj before taking action.”

Prof Todd told The Daily Telegraph: “Two students came to see me and said they were very worried that threats had been made to me on email networks they were part of.

“The university investigated the threats and came back to me to say their intelligence on them is such that they are providing me security for all of my lecturers for the rest of this year. They said ‘you’re having two men in the rest of your lectures’.”

Prof Todd said that transgender activists started making complaints about her on the basis that her teaching of feminist history was “transphobic”.

“The first complaint that was made against me was to say that I was transphobic because it would be impossible for a transgender student to be taught by me.”

Prof Todd said that the history faculty now receives “daily” complaints from activists calling for her to be sacked, which has left her feeling unnerved.

“I get frightened by the threats in lectures,” she said. “You can’t help but worry. It’s had a huge impact on me. You don’t expect to be defending yourself the whole time from complaints or threats of violence.”

Prof Todd urged the university to take a stronger stance in disciplining students who are making threats and malicious complaints against her.

“It would be far more helpful if the university could take robust action against the people making these threats in the first place,” she said.

An Oxford University spokesman said: “We cannot comment on individual arrangements. However when staff raise concerns with us, the university will always review the circumstances and offer appropriate support to ensure their safety and their freedom of expression.”

Read more on this story Oxford University professor given security guards for lectures after threats from transgender activists

Daily Telegraph

An Oxford University professor has been given security guards to accompany her to lectures after receiving threats from transgender activists.