Trans rights row student pressured to quit Bristol University, court told

Raquel Rosario Sanchez is suing the university over claims it to failed protect her from a hate campaign

A PhD student has claimed a university pressured her into leaving rather than address alleged bullying by trans rights activists.

Raquel Rosario Sanchez said Bristol University failed to protect her from a hate campaign over her links with a women's rights group in 2018.

She said the abuse affected her mental health and academic performance.

Ms Rosario Sanchez is suing the university for negligence, breach of contract and sex discrimination.

Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre was told instead of offering her an extension, faculty members tried to "trick" her into leaving.

Ms Rosario Sanchez said she was offered the option of either suspending her studies for two months, withdrawing from her course completely, or simply dropping her PhD altogether.

All of these options would have jeopardised her student visa and right to remain in the UK, she said.

'Get rid of me'

Laura Johnson, representing the university, asked: "You are alleging that the members of the University of Bristol are trying to trick you into doing something that would end your right to be in the UK?"

Ms Rosario Sanchez replied: "This is not an allegation, this is fact."

She added senior figures at the university wanted "to get rid of me".

She went on to say rather than offering her the "best alternative" and give her an extension on assignments, she was "pressured to suspend my studies".

The hearing heard on Monday the student contacted the university on 1 February 2018 to say she wanted to make a complaint about "malicious rumours".

She claims she was targeted because of her involvement in campaign group Woman's Place UK, which has been accused of being anti-trans.

Ms Rosario-Sanchez also claimed she was forced to make repeated statements about the impact of the alleged bullying on her mental health, something she found invasive.

'Harassment continued'

She further alleged the university tried to deal with the problem by offering her counselling, rather than deal with those targeting her.

"I was having the same conversation over and over - 'This is impacting my studies, I'm feeling very unwell'," she said.

"Meanwhile the source of that distress was not being addressed, it was just allowed to keep escalating - the bullying and harassment continued."

The court heard trans rights activists had protested against a talk by Ms Rosario Sanchez, and labelled her a terf (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), and claimed she was "spreading hate about trans people".

Judge Ralton said his task was to assess whether the university handled the conflict with Ms Rosario Sanchez correctly, and that he would not be making a judgment about gender rights.

The trial continues.