A group of students are taking legal action against a university alleging discrimination and breach of contract after it “suspended” a black history degree for new applicants.
The 14 students were all studying on the Masters by Research (MRes), History of Africa and the African Diaspora course or conducting research for a PhD at the University of Chichester when it made the decision to halt the programme for newcomers in July 2023 because of the costs of running the course.
The university also made the course leader Professor Hakim Adi, the first African-British historian to become a professor of history in the UK and who was shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize in 2023, redundant.
The students have gone through the university’s internal complaints procedure “without resolution” for their claim that the departure of Prof Adi has left them without adequate supervision to complete their studies.
They have now employed Leigh Day solicitors to pursue a civil claim alleging that the university is in breach of contract and the firm issued a ‘letter before action’ on their behalf on February 15.
Leigh Day partner Jacqueline McKenzie said: “This sudden decision by the University of Chichester to close down this unique course has stopped our clients’ academic careers in their tracks.
“On top of that, the university has made an eminent and highly respected black professor of African history in the UK, who was last year nominated for the Wolfson History prize, redundant at short notice.
“In our clients’ view, the University of Chichester has clearly discriminated against them and breached its contract with them in its handling of this process.
