3 May 2010
Sussex registrar’s court claims disputed by student protesters. Melanie Newman reports
Students at the University of Sussex have accused its registrar of exaggeration after he claimed that he had been held hostage during an occupation earlier this year.
On 3 March, students occupied the university’s main administrative building in protest against staff redundancies.
On the same day, the university sought and obtained a court injunction banning the students from the premises, and the protesters were ejected by Sussex Police. The injunction documents state that about 100 students were involved: the students themselves put the figure at 300.
In a witness statement to the High Court, John Duffy, Sussex’s registrar and secretary, says the students “forced entry” to Sussex House, “locked key members of staff including [me] into their offices against their will” and caused damage to the building.
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