The University of Derby has suspended six male students, including two special constables, over “degrading and offensive” comments allegedly made about their female peers in an online group chat.
The men are accused of being part of a group in which crude sexual remarks, including a rape joke, about several female students were exchanged. The university has launched an investigation into the conduct of the students, five of whom are on a policing course and the sixth is studying business.
It took action after screenshots were posted online that purportedly showed details of a group chat in which the men rated the appearances of female students, and one of them joked about using child rape in a chat-up line.
Two of the students alleged to have been part of the group chat are special constables with Derbyshire Constabulary, and have been suspended while the force investigates their conduct.
The screenshots of the alleged group chat that were shared online were described by another student as disgusting and misogynistic.
A University of Derby spokeswoman said: “We were incredibly disappointed to see the degrading and offensive language used in online forums about some of our female students.
“Such behaviour is unacceptable, will not be tolerated and is being addressed with the utmost urgency. The male students involved in making these comments have been suspended and we are working with an external specialist agency to carry out a full and formal investigation.
“We are following our sexual misconduct policy and processes to ensure this is conducted fairly and thoroughly, and have offered support to the female students affected by this.”
A Derbyshire Constabulary spokesman said: “We have been made aware of a social media post relating to remarks made by a number of individuals. Two of the individuals alleged to have been involved in these remarks are current Derbyshire Constabulary special constables and inquiries are ongoing into their conduct – as well as possible criminal offences that may have taken place.
“The two special constables from Derbyshire have been immediately suspended from duty, and staff from the force’s counter-corruption unit are liaising with another force in relation to others mentioned in the posts.
“The type of language seen in these comments is completely unacceptable and the organisation utterly condemns it.”
The investigation follows a number of high-profile cases of online harassment at UK universities, such as the Warwick “rape chat” scandal, where female students discovered they had been the subject of violent sexual comments exchanged among a group of male undergraduates.
Universities UK, which represents 137 higher education institutions, published guidance for its members on how to tackle online harassment last September after internet safety experts warned that the majority lacked adequate procedures to deal with harmful or illegal online behaviour by students and staff.
An earlier Guardian investigation revealed that hundreds of university students had been disciplined or expelled for making sexually explicit, homophobic or racist comments on social media.
