The U.K. science minister has compensated a researcher she wrongly accused of expressing 'extremist' views.
The article discusses how the U.K. science minister, Michelle Donelan, faced a libel complaint from an academic, Professor Kate Sang, whom she accused of supporting terrorism. Donelan had also criticized another academic, Kamna Patel, for allegedly promoting extremist ideologies on social media. Donelan had written to the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) head, Ottoline Leyser, demanding the shutdown of a panel on diversity and equity in science that Sang and Patel were set to serve on. Despite Donelan's accusations, UKRI conducted an investigation and found that Sang and Patel had not breached any codes of conduct, and the panel's work was deemed necessary to continue.
Following UKRI's findings, Donelan retracted her concerns about Sang, acknowledging that she misunderstood a tweet from Sang that criticized the Home Secretary's stance on Hamas. Donelan also agreed to pay Sang an undisclosed amount for damages and costs to settle the libel complaint. The concerns raised by Donelan were based on a report from a conservative think tank, Policy Exchange, which targeted Sang and Patel. The lawyers representing Sang and Patel criticized Donelan for relying on a misleading report without proper verification.
Media reports suggested that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) had covered the damages and legal costs instead of Donelan personally. This led to criticism from the Liberal Democrats Party, demanding an inquiry into the matter. The DSIT stated that the payment was made based on established precedent to provide legal support to ministers in matters related to their official duties. The University and College Union called for Donelan's resignation, citing her loss of confidence within the academic community and failure to uphold professional standards.
Despite the settlement and retraction of accusations, Donelan and UKRI faced backlash from various quarters. University of Manchester sociologist Jessica Gagnon highlighted the stress and reputational damage caused by the accusations, calling for apologies to Sang and Patel. Science policy researcher Kieron Flanagan expressed concerns about the impact of such incidents on trust in government officials and organizations like UKRI, potentially deterring individuals from participating in important scientific endeavors due to fear of being embroiled in controversies.
The incident underscores the importance of due diligence and verification before making public accusations, especially when it involves the reputation and credibility of individuals in the academic and scientific community. It also raises questions about the accountability of government officials and the need to uphold ethical standards in public discourse and decision-making processes.
(Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/u-k-science-minister-pays-damages-researcher-she-accused-airing-extremist-views)
Following UKRI's findings, Donelan retracted her concerns about Sang, acknowledging that she misunderstood a tweet from Sang that criticized the Home Secretary's stance on Hamas. Donelan also agreed to pay Sang an undisclosed amount for damages and costs to settle the libel complaint. The concerns raised by Donelan were based on a report from a conservative think tank, Policy Exchange, which targeted Sang and Patel. The lawyers representing Sang and Patel criticized Donelan for relying on a misleading report without proper verification.
Media reports suggested that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) had covered the damages and legal costs instead of Donelan personally. This led to criticism from the Liberal Democrats Party, demanding an inquiry into the matter. The DSIT stated that the payment was made based on established precedent to provide legal support to ministers in matters related to their official duties. The University and College Union called for Donelan's resignation, citing her loss of confidence within the academic community and failure to uphold professional standards.
Despite the settlement and retraction of accusations, Donelan and UKRI faced backlash from various quarters. University of Manchester sociologist Jessica Gagnon highlighted the stress and reputational damage caused by the accusations, calling for apologies to Sang and Patel. Science policy researcher Kieron Flanagan expressed concerns about the impact of such incidents on trust in government officials and organizations like UKRI, potentially deterring individuals from participating in important scientific endeavors due to fear of being embroiled in controversies.
The incident underscores the importance of due diligence and verification before making public accusations, especially when it involves the reputation and credibility of individuals in the academic and scientific community. It also raises questions about the accountability of government officials and the need to uphold ethical standards in public discourse and decision-making processes.
(Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/u-k-science-minister-pays-damages-researcher-she-accused-airing-extremist-views)
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