Oxford University Staff Member Resigns After Anti-Semitism Accusations

By JTA March 20, 2016

(JTA) – A second officer of Oxford University’s Labour Club has resigned after leveling discrimination charges.

The club’s disabilities officer, Brahma Mohanty, stepped down after claiming the club forced members to “subscribe to a radical ideology of division and isolation,” the London-based Telegraph newspaper reported Friday.

Last month, Alex Chalmers resigned as co-chair following claims that his colleagues “have some kind of problem with Jews.” Chalmers, who is not Jewish, said at the time he was leaving the “poisonous” club after it endorsed Israel Apartheid Week — a string of activities against Israel that takes place annually in several dozen cities and especially on campuses.

Mohanty said in his resignation letter, according to the Telegraph: “I have personally experienced in recent weeks and meetings that this does not appear to be an ethos shared amongst the OULC body in light of the passing of the Israeli Apartheid Week motion and the more recent motion which essentially ‘purges’ the OULC membership and forces members to subscribe to a radical ideology of division and isolation.”

He added: “Simply put, I cannot in good faith carry out my duties in promoting access and engagement with a club that I feel is projecting itself in the complete opposite manner.”

Earlier this month, the club passed a motion to limit voting privileges to just those members who support only the Labour Party or its aims, according to The Telegraph.

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