A University of Bristol student has failed to prove that university allowed her to be bullied by trans rights activists. Raquel Rosario Sanchez sued the university for negligence, breach of contract and sex discrimination, over claims the institution failed to protect her from harassment and bullying by the activists.
But a judge dismissed her claims today (April 21), saying the university had not failed in its duty of care, the BBC reported. Ms Rosario Sanchez claimed that the university had failed to protect her from a "hate campaign" over her links with a women's rights group in 2018.
Her case was heard at the Bristol Civil and Family Justice Centre, where she said she was targeted because of involvement with campaign group Women's Place UK. The group describes its aim as “to end violence, harassment and abuse of women and girls”.
Read more: University denies trans bullying claims by feminist PhD student who was branded a TERF, court hears
But it has been accused of being anti-trans, and the court heard activists had protested against a talk by Ms Rosario Sanchez. She was labelled as someone who excluded trans people, and it was claimed that she was "spreading hate about trans people".
Judge Alexander Ralton acknowledged that there had been occasions where she had been threatened with violence, but he dismissed all of her claims against the university in his verdict, saying "no actionable breach of duty has been identified". The judge also said the university could not be expected to have an influence on things published on social media.
He also said that although Ms Rosario Sanchez's complaints "could have been progressed in a much better fashion", he had not seen "any evidence of any malice on the part of any member of staff" towards her, or evidence of a strategy to silence her.
A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: "Following a complaint from Ms Rosario Sanchez about the conduct of fellow students stemming from an external event held off campus, the university has found itself at the centre of a highly-polarised debate around gender identity and rights.
"From the outset, we have sought to remain neutral in our management of this conflict and to follow our internal complaints procedure. While we are pleased the judge found this to be the case, dismissing all claims made against us, we acknowledge that this has been an incredibly challenging period for everyone involved.
"We wish Ms Rosario Sanchez all the best for the future, especially with the completion of her PhD."
In a Twitter post, Ms Rosario Sanchez said that the outcome was "unexpected", but thanked everyone who had sent her messages of support. She pointed out that the judge had acknowledged she was the victim of "violent, threatening, intimidating behaviour or language".
And she added: "I want to thank my entire family whose unwavering love and care has given me the emotional stability andf psychological fortitude to remain grounded and optimistic throughout this difficult period."
