UN’s Albanese quits Merseyside university post over sacking of scholar suffering cancer

UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese has resigned from a position with Merseyside’s Edge Hill University over what she describes as the ‘dismissal of a distinguished scholar – also mother of two young kids’ on attendance grounds by the university because she is being treated for cancer.

In an X post, Ms Albanese announced her decision:

Regrettably, I find myself forced to step down as external member to the International Justice and Human Rights Research Centre at Edge Hill University (UK). This follows the University’s dismissal of a distinguished scholar – also mother of two young kids (name undisclosed for privacy purpose) – on “grounds of attendance”, due to her being treated for CANCER.

I find absolutely outrageous that a place that teaches international law and human rights can take such an appalling decision, at such a critical moment in someone’s life. I urge once again the University to immediately reinstate the employee and ascertain any responsibilities associated with her dismissal.

The announcement generated hundreds of angry responses.

A spokesperson for the university told Skwawkbox that:

As an employer, we have a robust system in place to support members of staff who experience ill health while working with us, including occupational health, mental health and wellbeing support, and financial assistance.

The wellbeing of our employees is important to us and we always do everything we can to support them, particularly during challenging stages of life. A contract is only ended when all other options have been exhausted and a rigorous process has been followed; such a decision is never taken lightly. When a contract is ended, the employee always has the right to appeal as per ACAS guidelines.

However, this appears not to be the university’s first time firing a cancer sufferer. In an employment tribunal case brought by Ms Elaine Glasby in 2021, the tribunal ruled both that the university had failed to make reasonable adjustments for Glasby’s condition as required by law and that it had discriminated against her when it dismissed her:

The university appealed the decision, claiming that its decision to fire Ms Glasby had been justified, and the Employment Appeal Tribunal allowed the appeal, sending the matter back to a fresh tribunal. Unlike the first tribunal, the fresh panel ultimately decided last month that the university did not have to treat the absences for cancer treatment as a separate issue in its absence management and was not required to allow her to use annual leave to cover sickness absence, despite some managers doing so.

The identity of the newly-dismissed academic has not been released.

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