A bearded Oxford academic has been criticised for wearing giant fake breasts in public despite outraged complaints from academic colleagues and eminent former students.
asserted
academic → criticise → colleagues
Matt Rattley, a lecturer in biochemistry at St Hilda's College, has already attracted online controversy thanks to his bizarre appearance, which also involves female clothes and makeup.
asserted
which → attract → clothes
Now three college graduates including a leading clinical psychologist have written to St Hilda's concerned that Mr Rattley's behaviour 'violates women's dignity', and that it would be 'reasonable for them to feel that it creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive environment'.
asserted
it → include → environment
St Hilda's has received at least three formal letters of complaint, including one from the parent of a current undergraduate, with some alleging that the situation amounts to sexual harassment against female students and teachers.
asserted
situation → receive → students
Mr Rattley, who was appointed a non-stipendiary lecturer in 2023, undoubtedly has his supporters at St Hilda's.
asserted
who → appoint → Hilda
But speaking on condition of anonymity, an Oxford academic who attended training events alongside Mr Rattley told The Mail on Sunday: 'I was due to attend a series of staff training sessions at Oxford with Mr Rattley.
asserted
I → speak → Rattley
I ended up missing most of them because I found being around him so distressing.
'
asserted
being → end → him
At the first session, he was giving a presentation.
asserted
he → give → presentation
I was in the front row, so those big prosthetic boobs felt like they were in my face.
asserted
they → feel → face
I didn't know where to look.
asserted
I → know → ?
'The worst part was that other people were behaving as though he was dressed normally.
asserted
he → behave → ?
You're sitting there thinking what you're seeing is hideous and disrespectful, while everyone around you is pretending it's OK.
asserted
it → sit → you
It makes you doubt your sanity.
asserted
you → make → sanity
Matt Rattley, a lecturer in biochemistry at St Hilda's College, has already attracted online controversy thanks to his appearance, which also involves female clothes and makeup
'
asserted
which → attract → clothes
Another session I attended was during the summer heatwave.
asserted
I → attend → heatwave
Rattley was sitting with his legs apart in a miniskirt, with his underwear visible, flanked by two admiring young women - in long dresses.
'
asserted
underwear → sit → dresses
Many of the female staff fawn over him.
asserted
Many → fawn → him
It does feel like sexual harassment.
asserted
It → feel → harassment
You feel as though you're being forced to participate in someone's sexual fetish without being given a choice.
asserted
you → feel → choice
It's like being forced to watch porn.
asserted
It → force → porn
You either comply or feel you're risking your job by objecting.
asserted
you → comply → job
'After the training, I sent the organisers feedback, asking how they would respond if the female trainer they hired for the event wore a "strap-on" penis.
asserted
they → send → penis
Mr Rattley has frequently posted pictures of himself on social media in low cut tops – displaying vast fake cleavage – lipstick and nail varnish.
asserted
Rattley → post → lipstick
Another Oxford lecturer told the MoS that students and academics fear speaking out.
asserted
students → tell → MoS
'Oxford people are very reluctant to speak out in public about Mr Rattley, because although the University is pretty good about free speech in the abstract, it comes down hard on anyone who says anything about another identifiable member of the University,' she said.
asserted
she → speak → University
'I privately asked a fellow at St Hilda's what, if anything, they were doing about this.
asserted
they → ask → this
She said that, as far as she knew, no student had complained, and unless and until that happened, it was very unlikely that the College would do anything.
asserted
College → say → anything
St Hilda's College at Oxford University was founded as a women-only college and became fully coeducational in 2008
A former student at the college said: 'This case is one that really troubled me throughout my time as a student and that I continue to find disturbing and disillusioning.
asserted
I → found → that
At first, I thought it was a joke—fancy dress.
asserted
it → think → ?
Had I been an undergraduate in his class, I know I would have felt very conflicted and deeply uncomfortable.
asserted
I → know → class
I'd also have felt guilt for thinking negatively of someone whose internal state I simply couldn't know.
asserted
I → feel → state
I certainly wouldn't have made a formal complaint.
asserted
I → make → complaint
I have spoken about this at length with trusted friends and family who agreed the situation is outrageous, but it never felt like an option to be open and public about it because any concerns would inevitably be received as bigotry.'
asserted
concerns → speak → bigotry
Speaking yesterday, one of the signatories to the letter, the distinguished clinical psychologist Dr Lucy Johnstone said the college's failure to act so far was concerning.
asserted
failure → speak → letter
I haven't met Mr Rattley so I can't be certain what is going on here.
asserted
what → meet → Rattley
But as a psychologist who has worked with women clients for many years, I do know that in all forms of harassment and abuse, you see denial by the perpetrator, silencing of the victims, and often collusion by institutions.
asserted
you → work → institutions
'But there seems to be an extra twist here,' she continued.
asserted
she → seem → ?
'If accepting an offensive behaviour is presented as progressive and open-minded, it is even harder for women to name what is really going on and speak up about it.
asserted
what → accept → it
I cannot understand why the college and the university are apparently unconcerned about possible breaches of boundaries and conduct.
asserted
college → understand → boundaries
I am particularly disappointed that a college set up with women's needs and women's education in mind seems to be failing so badly in offering women basic protections.
asserted
college → set → protections
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
