University settles with Palestinian academic in press leaks case

A Palestinian academic has reached a settlement with her former university for an undisclosed sum after she claimed it leaked private details about her departure to politicians and the media.

Sheffield Hallam University has also agreed to pay the legal costs of Shahd Abusalama, who joined the institution in January 2022 but left in October of that year amid claims that she had made antisemitic comments in social media posts.

The university’s Jewish society had complained over posts in which Dr Abusalama, who was born in a refugee camp in Gaza, had discussed whether Israel was guilty of a “Palestinian Holocaust”, but a KC-led independent review had cleared her of wrongdoing.

Dr Abusalama’s legal team accused the university of breaking the confidential agreement after an article appeared in The Jewish Chronicle in November in which Sheffield Hallam’s vice-chancellor, Richard Calvert confirmed that she was “no longer an employee of the university”.

But the university failed to make clear that Dr Abusalama had already been exonerated by the independent review, her lawyers said.

The JC article claimed that Sheffield Hallam had reached out “explicitly stating that they wished to address [Dr Abusalama’s] case” on the same day that it announced it was building a campus “in the heart of north London’s Jewish community” in Brent Cross. 

Her legal team further alleged that the university sent briefing notes to politicians, including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and London mayor Sadiq Khan, between August and November 2022, and that the university was motivated “by the pursuit of profit, in particular through the seeking of support for its new campus in North London”.

Dr Abusalama said the settlement represented a victory for those looking “to challenge Israel’s long-standing domination of the Palestinian people without fear of reprisal from those in positions of power”. 

“At a time when I thought I was agreeing to part ways with Sheffield Hallam amicably, I now know the university was suppressing the report which exonerated me,” she said. 

“Although the university has failed to verbally admit its wrongdoing, its latest actions speak louder than its lack of words – in particular its agreement to pay my legal costs, usually only payable by an unsuccessful party. My case highlights the multifaceted racisms and structural vulnerability that Palestinians are subjected to in Britain on a daily basis. But it also highlights that if we organise collectively and fight back, we can win.”

A Sheffield Hallam University spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the university has reached a mutually agreed settlement with a former member of staff. Given the nature of the agreement, we now consider this matter closed and won't be providing any further comment.”

juliette.rowsell@timeshighereducation.com