What did David Miller say? Bristol University professor’s anti-Zionist views are legally protected under Equality Act, tribunal rules

Professor David Miller, appointed as a Political Sociology prof. by Bristol University, was sacked in 2021 for his anti-Zionist views.

In a landmark ruling, a tribunal has determined that the anti-Zionist views expressed by Bristol University Professor David Miller are protected under the Equality Act 2020 on Monday, February 5, 2024, as per The Telegraph.

The decision comes after years of Professor Miller's comments, which have sparked debates about academic freedom, free speech, and the boundaries of permissible discourse on contentious issues.

In 2019, David Miller, while delivering a lecture at Bristol University, shared a slideshow that showed the Zionist movement as the pillar of Islamophobia. As per The Telegraph, this sparked outrage among the students and staff, leading to Prof. Miller's termination from his services in 2021.

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Bristol University professor David Miller's comments upheld by Equality Act tribunal:

David Miller, a British sociologist, was employed by the University of Bristol in 2018 as a professor of political sociology. Before working for Bristol University, he was appointed as a Professor of Sociology at two other renowned universities — the University of Strathclyde and the University of Bath.

During a lecture in 2019, David presented a slideshow in which he said the Zionist movement was one of five pillars driving Islamophobia in the United Kingdom, the tribunal heard on February 5, 2024, as per The Independent.

However, it sparked anger among Jewish students. Later, in February 2021, Prof. Miller commented on Israel and described it as the "enemy of world's peace", and called the Jewish society at the University of Bristol an "Israel lobby" group that has exaggerated an uncontrollable emotion for his teachings, as seen by Jewish Chronicle News.

Therefore, in 2021, the University of Bristol fired Prof. Miller, underlying a statement that he "did not meet the standards". As seen by The Telegraph, the university stated,

"After a full investigation and careful deliberation, the University concluded that Dr. Miller did not meet the standards of behaviour we expect from our staff in relation to comments he made in February 2021 about students and student societies linked to the University."

On Monday, February 5, 2024, the tribunal found that Bristol University sacked Prof. Miller unfairly in 2021. The tribunal Judge Rohan Pirani has established that Bristol University Professor David Miller's anti-Zionist views are protected under the Equality Act 2020.

According to The Telegraph, Zillur Rahman, the partner at law firm Rahman Lowe, representing David Miller as his lawyer, said after the tribunal was heard,

"This is a landmark case and marks a pivotal moment in the history of our country for those who believe in upholding the rights of Palestinians."

As seen by the publication, speaking after the tribunal's decision, Professor Miller expressed his gratitude for the ruling, stating,

"I am extremely pleased that the tribunal has concluded that I was unfairly and wrongfully dismissed by the University of Bristol. I am also very proud that we have managed to establish that anti-Zionist views qualify as a protected belief under the UK Equality Act."

He further said,

"This was the most important reason for taking the case, and I hope it will become a touchstone precedent in all the future battles that we face with the racist and genocidal ideology of Zionism and the movement to which it is attached."

In response to the turbinal judgment, the Union of Jewish Students and the University of Bristol expressed that the ruling was "disappointing", as per The Telegraph.