Hullfire news editor sacked in discrimination probe
The news editor of Hull University's student newspaper has been dismissed from his post and suspended from the Union for four months, The Rundown has learned. The punishment was handed down by Union authorities after Bob Silby sent "harassing" and "discriminatory" emails about his boss on the paper.
Mr Silby's emails, which were sent to members of the university's Labour Club and seen by The Rundown, referred to personal information about editor Heather Woodcock, given to him "in confidence". He went on to say that he was "determined to get rid of her and slide someone else from the Labour Club into the editorship" and went on to threaten a news section strike for October, which "could finnish [sic] her".
He initially denied sending the emails, insisting instead that they had been forged as part of a plot to oust him from the Labour Club, but proof of their authorship was shown to the Union sabbatical team as part of their investigation and Mr Silby was banned from Union premises until November.
The Labour Club was meanwhile keen to distance itself from the emails. "Bob Silby was not acting on behalf of the Labour Club," said Edward Jacobs, Campaigns and Publicity Officer. "It has become increasingly clear that Bob is hell-bent on achieving high office in the union, and will do almost anything to do so. I utterly condemn the emails."
Although one student said that the punishment seemed unduly harsh, reaction on campus was generally not in Mr Silby's favour, with one friend calling his actions "stupid".
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