Student took his own life after 'tragic' university grade error
Ethan Brown took his own life on the day he was due to graduate in December 2024
- Published
The mother of a geography student who took his own life after being wrongly told he could not graduate says her son was "failed" by his university.
Ethan Brown was informed in September 2024 that he had not been awarded a grade for one of his courses by the University of Glasgow, which meant he would not be eligible to graduate.
The 23-year-old took his own life three months later on the day he would have been due to receive his degree.
The university has expressed its deepest sympathies but said the "tragic error" over Ethan's grade was an isolated incident.
An internal investigation was launched after Ethan's mother, Tracy Scott, sought answers from the university.
It concluded he had been awarded the wrong grade for a course due to an error by the university and should in fact have graduated with a 2:1 Honours degree.
Ethan's mother Tracy Scott said the university failed her son
The error was not spotted by any University of Glasgow staff, or by two internal exam boards and one external exam board.
Speaking at a press conference, Ms Scott said her son had been happy to secure a place at the university.
She added: "Ethan was a kind, caring young man who was very much loved.
"So it breaks my heart to now be aware of the mental anguish this university must have caused my son.
"The truth is, Ethan had successfully attained a 2:1 honours degree, despite the university repeatedly informing him he had been unsuccessful."
Ms Scott said her son, who had "a smile that would light up the room", reported difficulties with his mental health to the university.
But she said no support was offered.
Ms Scott added: "They failed him, not only academically, but also to support him.
"My son was failed from having a duty of care from the educational system, resulting in my family having been robbed from having Ethan in our lives."
The University of Glasgow was founded in 1451
The family's solicitor, Aamer Anwar, said they wanted to know whether the "systemic failure" would have been identified had Ethan not died and "his family had not fought for answers".
Mr Anwar also raised "serious concerns" about the wellbeing support offered to students by the university.
A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: "Upon investigation, the university identified the error and commissioned an internal report by a recently retired senior professor into the circumstances; this was shared with Ethan's family on its completion.
"The report found that a tragic error had been made in calculating Ethan's degree outcome."
The university also admitted there had been a shortcoming in communication which meant that Ethan was not referred to student support services.
"The university has checked all its records and is confident that the error in relation to Ethan's marks was an isolated one and that no other students have been affected," it said.
"We are profoundly sorry that this terrible event occurred and understand the deep distress it has caused Ethan's family."
The university's principal, Prof Sir Anton Muscatelli, has indicated he would be willing to meet the family to discuss the university's actions.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line website.