Student faces being expelled from Scots uni for saying women have vaginas
A STUDENT fears her dream of becoming a human rights lawyer is in tatters after being rapped by her uni for saying "women have vaginas".
Final year law student Lisa Keogh, 29, faces formal disciplinary action from Abertay University, in Dundee, for her alleged “offensive” and “discriminatory” comments made during feminism seminars.
Keogh is under fire after fellow students took offence at her comments, including saying the female sex are not physically as strong as males.
The mature student was reported by younger classmates after stating her understanding women are born with female genitals and “the difference in physical strength of men versus women is a fact”.
Book festival bosses axe Harry Potter quiz over author JK Rowling’s controversial stance on trans issues
At first mum-of-two Keogh said she thought emails from classmates accusing her of being transphobic were "a joke". She now she fears she will be flung out of uni before graduating.
She told The Times: “I’m worried that my chance of becoming a lawyer, and making a positive contribution, could be ended just because some people were offended.”
Joanna Cherry QC, the SNP MP for Edinburgh South West and deputy chairwoman of the Lords and Commons joint committee on human rights, branded the action taken as farcical.
Cherry has asked Abertay asking how it protected student rights to freedom of speech under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Most read in Scottish News
She said: “Ms Keogh is being subjected to a disciplinary procedure in which the ultimate sanction is expulsion, for stating opinions based on biological fact and objecting to sweeping statements such as ‘all men are rapists’.”
Keogh says she didn't mean to offend but take part in a debate.
She said: “I thought there was no way that the university would pursue me for utilising my legal right to freedom of speech.”
“I didn’t deny saying these things and told the university exactly why I did so.
"You have got to be able to freely exchange differing opinions otherwise it’s not a debate."
Keogh claims also claims she was muted by a lecturer during a video seminar when she raised safety concerns about trans women taking part in mixed martial arts fights.
She added: "I was abused and called names by the other students, who told me I was a ‘typical white, cis girl’."
The university’s misconduct policy includes “using offensive language” or “discriminating against gender reassignment” - with expulsion the highest penalty.
Abertay University told The Times it does not comment on disciplinary matters.
We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5300