An employment tribunal has ruled that a sociology professor who was dismissed by the University of Bristol was unfairly and wrongfully dismissed.
Notably, it found that David Miler’s “anti-Zionist” beliefs qualified as a “philosophical belief and a protected characteristic” under the Equality Act 2010.
And it found that Miller was subject to “direct discrimination” from the university over its decision to sack him – and to reject a subsequent appeal from him against that decision.
David Miller was a professor of Political Sociology, employed by the University of Bristol in 2018. He claimed that for a significant chunk of his time at the university, he was targeted by a concerted effort from groups and individuals opposed to his anti-Zionist views.
That campaign, he argued, was not only aimed at ousting him from his position – but was also met with a lack of support and investigation from his employer. That situation escalated to a point where he faced what he described as discriminatory and unfair misconduct proceedings – leading to his dismissal.
