Fletcher Hackwood defiant in the face of looming no confidence vote
YUSU officer Grace Fletcher-HackwoodYUSU Academic and Welfare Officer Grace Fletcher-Hackwood is set to face a vote of no confidence at the next UGM after admitting assaulting a student. A member of YUSU Senate has broken ranks to call for her resignation. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the officer said they thought Fletcher-Hackwood would not survive the vote. “I don’t think she’ll make it and she should resign. I think it’s quite serious and it undermines her position, it undermines the Union and her position is untenable,” they said.
Fletcher-Hackwood has said repeatedly that she will not resign over the incident, saying: “‘inappropriate is the most serious word you could use to describe it. As far as I’m concerned the matter is now over.” The assaulted individual, second year History and Politics student Dan Taylor, said that Fletcher-Hackwood must “seriously consider her position.” Taylor said he plans to submit the motion of no confidence to the next UGM, which will take place on January 30.
YUSU President Anne-Marie Canning has thus far stood behind her, saying: “I have full confidence that Grace can fulfil her academic and welfare role, and I think she is doing a great job for students. However, if Dan wants to take the matter any further, I will go through the whole complaints procedure with him and investigate the incident fully.”
JCRC Chairs have also spoken out on the issue. Derwent Chair Oliver Lester described Fletcher-Hackwood’s actions as “disgraceful” and said: “people should actually consider whether she can continue in her role. If a lecturer or a tutor actually hit a student, I expect they would be asked to leave the University, and in this sense it’s kind of the same. If a YUSU employee punched a student it’s completely unacceptable.”
Halifax President Dave Sharpe, said that “there definitely needs to be some action taken,” and that Fletcher-Hackwood will “have to do a lot of work to get students’ trust back”. This view was echoed by James Chair Chet Khatu who said that Fletcher-Hackwood had “let the University down as a role model.” Vanbrugh Chair Matt Oliver said: “There should be serious consideration as to whether the Union feels she is able to continue in her role.” He added that he felt it was important for the JCRC chairs to present a “united front” on the issues in the event of formal action being taken against Fletcher-Hackwood.
All students will have the opportunity to vote on the motion in the UGM. If passed Fletcher-Hackwood would be removed from her post. Current constitutional arrangements mean that it is unlikely the post would be filled until the beginning of next academic year.
According to second year Derwent student Adam Clark, who was with Taylor at the time, the incident occurred at roughly 1.30am outside Derwent bar during the Chav-D event. Taylor and a friend had been ejected from the event by doorstaff earlier, and met Fletcher-Hackwood after she followed them out of the venue.
Taylor said Fletcher-Hackwood taunted him for being thrown out and he responded by pointing out she had been carried out of the last Club-D event for excessive drunkenness.
By both Taylor’s and Clark’s account, the argument escalated, and on making a comment regarding ethical merchandise, Fletcher-Hackwood punched Taylor in the ear.
Fletcher-Hackwood maintains that “there is absolutely no way that I would try to hurt anyone” and that she did not intend to injure Taylor. When questioned with regards to the details of the incident, Fletcher-Hackwood admitted she did not remember the event. By her own admittance, Fletcher-Hackwood was extremely inebriated during the Chav-D event.
Fletcher-Hackwood said her and Taylor’s relationship “should be taken into account” although “it should not be considered less of an incident because of who it is”. She admitted that they have a relationship of “mutual disagreement”. Facebook groups have appeared supporting and condemning Fletcher-Hackwood.
