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Paul Woodgates Senior Independent Governor De Montfort University The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH Email: paul.woodgates@dmu.ac.uk Date: October 24, 2025 Subject: Formal Complaint Regarding Vice-Chancellor Katie Normington¡¯s Misconduct and Request for Suspension and Independent Investigation Dear Mr. Woodgates, As a concerned [stakeholder ¨C e.g., staff member, student, or alumnus/a of De Montfort University], I am writing to formally raise serious concerns about the conduct of Vice-Chancellor Professor Katie Normington and the apparent failure of governance under the Chair of the Board of Governors, Ian Squires. The ongoing crises at DMU¡ªmarked by financial mismanagement, suppression of free speech, and a culture of intimidation¡ªrequire urgent action. I respectfully request the immediate suspension of Professor Normington pending a transparent, independent investigation into her leadership and the Board¡¯s oversight, particularly Mr. Squires¡¯ role in protecting her. Grounds for Complaint Misuse of Prevent Duty to Suppress Free Speech On 9 September 2025, DMU¡¯s Executive Director of People Services, Bridget Donoghue, acting on behalf of Professor Normington¡¯s leadership team, threatened to report a private online town hall meeting to the Office for Students (OfS) under the Prevent duty. This meeting, organized by staff and union representatives to discuss redundancies and mismanagement, involved invited guests including Leicester South MP Shockat Adam and Green Party councillor Patrick Kitterick. The threat to flag this legitimate discussion as a terrorism-related risk is a gross overreach and an attack on free speech. It follows a 2020 precedent where DMU overzealously reported student essays under Prevent, eroding trust. This misuse undermines DMU¡¯s commitment to academic freedom and risks breaching legal protections for union activity and expression. Financial Mismanagement and Neglect of Core Mission Under Professor Normington¡¯s leadership since August 2020, DMU has faced: Excessive Executive Spending: Over ?277,000 on business-class flights and other expenses since 2022, equivalent to entire research institute budgets, while claiming a ¡°financial crisis¡± to justify over 100 redundancies. Risky International Ventures: Over ?12 million diverted to a failing Dubai campus, now subject to a ?42 million lawsuit, and the creation of Innovative Educational Partnerships Ltd to hire London staff on inferior terms, bypassing UK employment law. Academic Decline: Abandonment of the ¡°top 30¡± ambition, a failed ¡°block teaching¡± model implemented without consultation, and asset sales to fund overseas franchises, neglecting DMU¡¯s role as a Leicester ¡°city of sanctuary.¡± These have led to a drop to 120th in national rankings, loss of TEF Gold status, and unsustainable student-staff ratios. Governance Failures and Culture of Intimidation Professor Normington¡¯s centralized control has sidelined staff and student input, with over ?5 million spent on external HR consultants in five years to enforce a ¡°weaponised redundancy programme.¡± This has created a ¡°doom-loop¡± of demoralization, evidenced by: Four votes of no confidence (May and June 2025 from the Professoriate, staff, and students). Over 300 student signatures demanding her resignation in July 2025. Chronic understaffing, course closures, and cancelled classes, harming DMU¡¯s academic reputation. Bullying and systematic firing of top research talent, replacing them with cheaper industry staff who lack the academic expertise to lead university courses independently, requiring academics to oversee them. Abusing power to dismiss whistleblowers through sham redundancies, targeting those who raise concerns about mismanagement. Denying emeritus status to deserving staff on bogus grounds, such as claims that they do not respect or get along with Professor Normington and her leadership delegates, further entrenching a culture of fear and retaliation. Ian Squires¡¯ Bias and Failure of Oversight As Chair of the Board of Governors, Ian Squires has failed to hold Professor Normington accountable, despite widespread evidence of mismanagement. His defense of ¡°good governance¡± ignores staff surveys, legal threats (e.g., Dubai lawsuit), and no-confidence motions explicitly criticizing his leadership. By shielding the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Squires has enabled a toxic regime, undermining the Board¡¯s duty to ensure accountability. Requested Actions Given the severity and breadth of these issues, I urge you, as Senior Independent Governor and Chair of the Finance and Performance Committee, to: Suspend Professor Katie Normington immediately, pending a full investigation into her leadership and decision-making. Commission an Independent Investigation into: The misuse of the Prevent duty to suppress free speech. Financial mismanagement, including executive expenses and risky international ventures. Governance failures, particularly Ian Squires¡¯ apparent bias in protecting the Vice-Chancellor. Allegations of bullying, targeted firings of researchers and whistleblowers, improper hiring practices, and denial of emeritus status. Ensure Transparency: Publish the investigation¡¯s terms and outcomes, restoring trust among staff, students, and the Leicester community. Engage Stakeholders: Consult with the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU), student representatives, and the DMU Professoriate to address the ongoing crises. Conclusion De Montfort University¡¯s civic mission and academic reputation are at stake. The misuse of anti-terrorism laws to silence dissent, coupled with financial recklessness, governance failures, bullying, and retaliatory practices, represents a betrayal of DMU¡¯s values as a public institution. As a senior governor, you have a duty to act decisively to protect the university and its community. Failure to address these issues risks further reputational damage, potential legal challenges, and intervention by the Office for Students. I look forward to your prompt response and confirmation of the steps the Board will take. Please direct correspondence to