Help with legal action debt for #MeToo champion
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Over the last two years Dani Bradford has been taking legal action against the University of Cambridge for discrimination under the Equality Act over how they treated her after she, as a student, reported sexual harassment by her former supervisor.
Dani took the case, and went public , because she knew it was not a one-off. She wanted to change a system that victimises and retraumatises the targets of sexual harassment. I had come to know Dani as a researcher and campaigner against sexual harassment in Higher Education. Now I see what lit that fire, and it means all the more to me personally because, well… Me Too.
I was subjected to sexual violence as part of my university experience, and it never even occurred to me to report it. I never thought that the Higher Education system would support me. I never thought their processes would make things better rather than worse. And I never had the courage or the vision to try to change it.
Dani tried to change it – not just for herself, but for every student and worker at our universities who has ever been, or may be a victim.
Unfortunately, her case has taken a personal toll. She has suffered more harassment and online abuse. Then earlier this year, she had to make the heart-breaking decision to withdraw her case, because she – an individual taking on a huge institution, and unemployed at the time – simply could not, financially, continue. This is because of a huge issue in our justice system which operates to effectively deny access to justice to those complaining of sexual harassment by not providing financial protection or adequate legal aid.
Whilst Dani had the support of solicitors and a barrister, who all thought she had a great case and were giving their own services on a no win no fee basis, she then faced the risk of having to pay the university’s costs if she went to trial and lost. As her lawyers told her, even cases with a great deal of merit can lose, and her own case was arguing a new point of law and so inherently riskier than some others.
Dani, as a graduating student without any financial cushion, just could not take on this risk of having to pay the university’s costs at this time in her life and so she felt forced to withdraw her claim. But this means that not only was she denied the chance of having her case decided in court, and to achieve some sense of vindication and closure, but she has also been left with a debt of £2,500, owed to a medical expert employed for the case. Dani is left with this expense, which is another dimension to the stress and anxiety of her case, and another barrier to her getting on with her life.
I feel like I owe Dani, for the light that she’s shone on a system that injured me too. I can’t give her the closure that she deserves, but she’s an activist and a campaigner, and she will earn that for herself. She’s a trade union member now, and armed with the intellect and passion to keep fighting for safer educational spaces for all of us. But I can do a little bit to remove the financial penalty she’s paid, and I know others will want to do the same.
Times are tough right now, and many of you are struggling financially. If you can contribute even a pound or two to help towards Dani’s legal fees I know she will be immensely grateful. If you can’t then please just leave a note of solidarity, and pass this fundraiser on to trusted allies who might be able to help.
Please understand that I’m not posting this publicly at this time, because I want to protect Dani from further harassment and online trolling.
You can read more about Dani’s story, in her own words, here:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/danielle-bradford-it-felt-like-i-was-on-trial-in-cambridge-harassment-case-6d5tw7xkx
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/18/universities-silencing-abuse-survivors-students
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/25/sexual-harassment-cambridge-peter-hutchinson-trinity-hall-universities
https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/17750
Dani took the case, and went public , because she knew it was not a one-off. She wanted to change a system that victimises and retraumatises the targets of sexual harassment. I had come to know Dani as a researcher and campaigner against sexual harassment in Higher Education. Now I see what lit that fire, and it means all the more to me personally because, well… Me Too.
I was subjected to sexual violence as part of my university experience, and it never even occurred to me to report it. I never thought that the Higher Education system would support me. I never thought their processes would make things better rather than worse. And I never had the courage or the vision to try to change it.
Dani tried to change it – not just for herself, but for every student and worker at our universities who has ever been, or may be a victim.
Unfortunately, her case has taken a personal toll. She has suffered more harassment and online abuse. Then earlier this year, she had to make the heart-breaking decision to withdraw her case, because she – an individual taking on a huge institution, and unemployed at the time – simply could not, financially, continue. This is because of a huge issue in our justice system which operates to effectively deny access to justice to those complaining of sexual harassment by not providing financial protection or adequate legal aid.
Whilst Dani had the support of solicitors and a barrister, who all thought she had a great case and were giving their own services on a no win no fee basis, she then faced the risk of having to pay the university’s costs if she went to trial and lost. As her lawyers told her, even cases with a great deal of merit can lose, and her own case was arguing a new point of law and so inherently riskier than some others.
Dani, as a graduating student without any financial cushion, just could not take on this risk of having to pay the university’s costs at this time in her life and so she felt forced to withdraw her claim. But this means that not only was she denied the chance of having her case decided in court, and to achieve some sense of vindication and closure, but she has also been left with a debt of £2,500, owed to a medical expert employed for the case. Dani is left with this expense, which is another dimension to the stress and anxiety of her case, and another barrier to her getting on with her life.
I feel like I owe Dani, for the light that she’s shone on a system that injured me too. I can’t give her the closure that she deserves, but she’s an activist and a campaigner, and she will earn that for herself. She’s a trade union member now, and armed with the intellect and passion to keep fighting for safer educational spaces for all of us. But I can do a little bit to remove the financial penalty she’s paid, and I know others will want to do the same.
Times are tough right now, and many of you are struggling financially. If you can contribute even a pound or two to help towards Dani’s legal fees I know she will be immensely grateful. If you can’t then please just leave a note of solidarity, and pass this fundraiser on to trusted allies who might be able to help.
Please understand that I’m not posting this publicly at this time, because I want to protect Dani from further harassment and online trolling.
You can read more about Dani’s story, in her own words, here:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/danielle-bradford-it-felt-like-i-was-on-trial-in-cambridge-harassment-case-6d5tw7xkx
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/18/universities-silencing-abuse-survivors-students
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/25/sexual-harassment-cambridge-peter-hutchinson-trinity-hall-universities
https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/17750
Organizer and beneficiary
Jennifer Andrew
Organizer
Danielle Bradford
Beneficiary