University responds to Tony Fisher’s ‘foolish mistake’

The University of Nottingham have responded to English lecturer Tony Fisher’s offensive remarks about students.

Earlier today, Tony Fisher confessed and apologised after he was accused of insulting students on Facebook.

Linguistics lecturer Fisher was caught calling students ‘semi-literate’ and ‘idiots’ on his Facebook page, as well as posting excerpts from work he deemed to be substandard, according to Impact.

The University of Nottingham press office has responded with the following statement:

“The School greatly regrets this incident. It views the behaviour of Tony Fisher as completely unacceptable and wholly out of character with the teaching ethos of the School. The quality of student experience is our first priority.

“All student complaints are taken very seriously, and this complaint is currently being addressed. In the meantime, the School can reassure students that Tony Fisher will no longer be involved in any assessment procedures in the School; and all assessed work for the module in question will now be remarked.

“Tony Fisher’s contract with the University of Nottingham ends in March.”

The English department have also sent around an email inviting students to share their opinion on recent events.

Second year English studies student Jessica Papworth, who has been taught in both seminars and lectures by Fisher, was complimentary of him and deemed the incident a ‘foolish mistake’:

“I think we’re all guilty of writing comments about our lecturers on social media safe in the knowledge that they’ll probably never see it. I can see how it works both ways.

“That in no way justifies the comments made by Tony Fisher; having had him as a seminar tutor for two years I have always found him to be friendly and approachable. Therefore I am equally as shocked at the insensitivity of some of the posts.

“However he did not directly target anyone as I have seen students do to their tutors. His failure to make his profile private was a foolish mistake, which has resulted in things that should never have been seen by students have been.”

Today, Fisher admitted he was an “idiot” in a second year Disclosure and Society lecture.

Fisher said he was ‘shaking like a leaf’…

Fisher will leave his position at the end of March to take up a teaching post at University of York St. John.

He said that the UoN HR Department are ‘absolute arseholes’ after they refused to let him out of his contact a month early.

He began the lecture by addressing the incident.

Fisher addressed the packed lecture hall this morning and personally condemned his actions.

He said: “I was sitting here shaking like a leaf” (waiting for the lecture to start).

The popular lecturer was clearly unsure of what his reception would be after publicly insulting his students, although none were named personally in the Facebook blasts.

He went on to reference one status in which he called a student an ‘idiot’.

Fisher back-tracked, and said: “There’s one idiot in the room, and that’s me.”

Throughout the lecture he continued to jokingly reference the Facebook debacle, clearly hoping to shed light on what could have been a serious case of misconduct:

“Ironically, this example is from Facebook… by a friend of mine who lives in Japan and did give me permission.”

“Why would he say something stupid like that?” Fisher said in reference to a quote by David Cameron. “Although I guess I’m in no position to say anything.”

Students at the University of Nottingham have had mixed reviews of the lecturers public outburst.

Chris Milner, a first year English student and one of his personal tutees, said:

“It is unfortunate that Tony’s time at Nottingham has been tainted somewhat by this incident; it would be a shame to see him leave on bad terms.

Using Facebook as a way to voice frustrations is regrettable, I hope however that the university allow him to finish his contract.”

Bet he’s in need of a ‘herbal remedy’ now…

Tony Fisher was unable to speak to The Tab at this time. More to follow in the coming days.