University chiefs spent an eye-watering £280,000 on an independent report into a disgraced professor labelled a “whitewash”.
The cost of the inquiry into how Strathclyde University handled complaints about Kevin O’Gorman has been criticised by ex-colleagues.
In 2019 former lecturer O’Gorman was convicted at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of abusing seven male students at two universities where he taught.
Strathclyde commissioned an inquiry after it emerged it had allowed him to leave during an ongoing disciplinary action with a pay-off that let him join Heriot-Watt University in a promoted post.
The university, a registered charity financed largely by public funds, blocked Sunday Mail attempts to find out costs of the report.
It said revealing the details would “prejudice substantially commercial interests of the university”.
But after we fought the ruling, the uni’s internal FOI review panel agreed to release limited details.
The disclosure shows £280,781 was paid for the independent report carried out by Craig Sandison QC, who has since been made a judge.
Some of the fee was also paid to PBW Law, who assisted Sandison in compiling the report. It is unclear how the fee was split.
PBW Law is headed up by solicitor Peter Watson, a visiting law professor at Strathclyde. We previously reported on how his relationship with the uni led to questions over the independence of the inquiry.
Insiders at the uni have criticised the huge amounts of money involved. One Strathclyde source said: “This is a huge amount of money paid out for a whole heap of nothing.
“The report has gone down like a lead balloon for people wanting change at the uni. It has been seen as an exercise in clearing high command of any wrongdoing instead of getting to the bottom of what went wrong.
“Instead of paying out so much on legal fees, the uni should have looked to compensate the students affected by O’Gorman’s criminal behaviour.”
Former student Fraser Blevins, one of O’Gorman’s victims, had previously labelled the report a “whitewash” but refused to comment on the latest revelation.
Transparency activists questioned the uni’s refusal to reveal the costs originally.
Carole Ewart, of the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland, said: “This demonstrates laws requiring public bodies to disclose information only happens when requesters enforce their legal rights.”
The inquiry, published in November, largely cleared Strathclyde Uni management of any wrongdoing.
The union that represents Strathclyde academics, the University and Colleges Union (UCU), attacked the Sandison report after it described O’Gorman’s behaviour as “slightly risque”.
The UCU said: “Given the Sandison report was deeply flawed, it is difficult to see how £280,000 is justified.”
SSU, which represents the students, said: “We stand by our solidarity with Strathclyde UCU’s well-reasoned challenges that were raised.”
O’Gorman was given community payback after his conviction in 2019 for sexually abusing seven men between 2006 and 2017 at Strathclyde and Heriot-Watt universities.
Strathclyde University said: “The independent inquiry has created a safer environment for our students, staff and visitors. The thorough and detailed report produced a series of recommendations.”
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