Law student, 29, sues university over 'women have vaginas' row

Law student, 29, sues university after she was dragged through disciplinary for saying ‘women have vaginas’ during seminar on transgender issues

• Lisa Keogh, 29, is taking legal action against Abertay University in Dundee 
• She says it caused her stress ‘at the most crucial part of my university career’
• Mother-of-two faced a probe which saw her cleared of misconduct charges
• Classmates complained when she said during class that women have vaginas

A law student who was placed under investigation for saying during online classes that women have vaginas has revealed today that she is suing the university.

Lisa Keogh, 29, said she had decided to take action against Abertay University in Dundee for the ‘stress caused at the most crucial part of my university career’.

The mother-of-two faced a probe which eventually saw her cleared of misconduct charges, after classmates had complained when she said women have vaginas.

Miss Keogh, who graduated with a LLB (Hons) law degree in July, also maintained that women should not have to compete against trans women in contact sports.

Now, she has begun legal action against Abertay after seeking advice and has asked backers to support an upcoming crowdfunding campaign to help fund it.

Lisa Keogh, 29, said she has decided to take action against Abertay University in Dundee

Miss Keogh tweeted today: ‘After speaking with legal professionals, I have decided to take action against Abertay University for the stress caused at the most crucial part of my university career. Action was initiated last week. I will be raising funds for this. 

‘I would appreciate your support during this time. I hope that you will donate if you can and share widely. I will post the fundraising page when it has been finalised.’ 

She added: ‘I hope that at the end of this, students won’t be scared to voice opinions through fear of action being taken against them.’ 

Miss Keogh, who has two sons aged nine and seven, was alleged to have made ‘inappropriate comments’ that ‘could be construed as discriminatory’.

It was also claimed that she had continued to make ‘offensive comments’ and to behave in ‘a disrespectful manner’.

But she was cleared by Abertay’s student disciplinary board after it found no evidence she had discriminated against another member of the university.

An Abertay spokesman told MailOnline today: ‘I can confirm the university has received a letter from Ms Keogh’s solicitor. We won’t be making any further comment at this time.’

The university previously said that it was ‘legally obliged to investigate all complaints’. 

Speaking about what caused the complaint, she told the Daily Mail in May: ‘I was asked to define what a woman was and I said someone with a vagina. A biological fact, I thought – and still think – but apparently it is now unacceptable to say it.

Abertay University in Dundee has said it was ‘legally obliged to investigate all complaints’

‘The whole thing descended into a row. It became quite toxic. Because I had dared to question anything about transgender rights, a target was on my back.’

Speaking after her graduation in July, she said the moment was ‘bittersweet’ as she was ‘still upset’ with the university.

Miss Keogh said at the time: ‘I went through two months of torture and it caused me a lot of mental anguish. I’m still upset with the university and the fact I had to deal with this when I was trying to focus on my degree.

‘It is such a big achievement for me and there are some silver linings and positives to take from it. I’m now focused on finding work and hoping to put this behind me.’

Professor Kathleen Stock is facing calls to quit because of her views on transgender rights

It comes as Professor Kathleen Stock, who teaches philosophy at Sussex University, has been left under siege by trans rights activists this month because she is sceptical of opening up women-only spaces such as prisons to trans people.

In June 2020, author JK Rowling was accused of being ‘transphobic’ after insisting only women experience menstruation. She had challenged an article entitled: ‘Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.’

Taking issue with the phrasing, she copied a link to the article and posted above it on Twitter: ‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’

Student protesters at the University of Sussex this month to demand Ms Stock’s resignation

Amid the backlash she later posted: ‘I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.’

And last September, medical journal The Lancet was accused of using the phrase ‘bodies with vaginas’ in lieu of the word ‘female’, which later saw editor Richard Horton apologise for conveying the impression that ‘we have de-humanised and marginalised women’.

And this month, Exeter University’s Students’ Guild resisted calls for an anti-abortion society to be shut down, supporting its members’ rights to ‘freedom of speech’ and to operate without fear of ‘intolerance or discrimination’.

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