LMSS Scandal: Student Medics request formal proceedings against University

Over a year after the infamous LMSS smoker scandal, relations between student medics and the University remain frosty.

A group of medics who label themselves ‘The Petitioners, working to defend LMSS’ are now applying to take the University of Liverpool in front of the Ombudsman for Higher Education, The Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

‘The Petitioners’ original petition tried to oust Harry Anderson from his position as Guild President following the joint Guild and University investigation into LMSS which resulted in LMSS being de-raified from the Guild.

They then accused the Guild of mishandling the formal petition process, claiming that the Guild was impartial and that they’d ‘changed the goalposts’ for the number of signatures needed when the Guild discovered that they were losing. The Petitioners formally complained to the Vice Chancellor, Janet Beer, arguing that the University had completely mishandled their petition and failed to hold the Guild responsible for their incorrect and unfair decision to de-raitfy LMSS. VC Janet Beer  launched an investigation into the Guild.

However, in an update sent out to the 1,319 supporters of the petition this morning, The Petitioners stated that the University had not complied within its own regulations, having not responded to the complaint from the Petitioners in the set 42 day period.

After waiting more than 60 days for a reply, The Petitioners say that they set a deadline at 9am on Monday 11th April for a reply from the university, but since nothing had been forthcoming in any format, they were initiating formal proceedings with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator.

The message sent out by ‘The Petitioners’

In the message, the Petitioners said: “The University has since failed to comply with it’s own regulations, and in not providing a response within their set 42 day time period (it has now been more than 60), has since failed to inform the Petitioners or offer any explanation, indeed our emails have been completely ignored by the University Senior Management,

“This is now a situation so serious that it warrants further intervention by the Ombudsman for Higher Education,”

They stated that they took action to “uphold all of our democratic rights”.

A University of Liverpool spokesperson said: “The complainants have been advised that this issue is under investigation and they should expect a response during the final week of April.”