The president of the Oxford Union, the university’s debating society, has resigned amid a furor over a blind African student being dragged by his ankles out of an event by security staff and then having his membership suspended.
Ebenezer Azamati, 25, who is from Ghana and a graduate student at St John’s College, Oxford, arrived early to ensure there was an accessible seat to watch a debate last month about trusting the British government in the wake of Brexit. After he confirmed there was a seat, he left to eat dinner and returned to the debate before it started.
Students managing the event then told Azamati he was not allowed back in, but the Ghanaian and a friend found seats inside nonetheless. When the event organizers realized he had reentered, they alerted security staff. Azamati was then dragged from the room by his ankles, according to the Oxford University Africa Society.
Oxford Union President Brendan McGrath said afterward that Azamati had been acting violently when he was asked to leave, thrusting his arms and using violent hand gestures. He suspended Azamati’s membership to the union for two years.
But McGrath’s handling of the situation outraged many and prompted calls for a vote to impeach him. The necessary 150 signatures needed for an impeachment vote were secured within hours, and McGrath resigned. A slew of other officials also resigned, including Secretary Chengkai Xie, the director of press, the director of operations, the chief of staff, two members of the Standing Committee, and a member of the Secretary’s Committee.
In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, McGrath apologized and said, “For all of my shortcomings, and all of my mistakes, I apologise profusely and unqualifiedly.”
McGrath recommended that the Oxford Union undertake training on equality and have a “professional review” of procedures for handling similar situations. The Oxford University Africa Society noted that McGrath overturned his charge that Azamati had used violent behavior and apologized for the “distress and any reputational damage” he caused.
In a statement issued through his lawyers, Azamati said, “Mr McGrath and the union have yet to acknowledge that I have done nothing wrong, which is upsetting. I would like the union to state now, clearly and straightforwardly, that I am not at fault in any way for the way I was treated.”
Presidents of the Oxford Union, formed in 1823, have included Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, and Michael Foot, who became the leader of the opposition Labour Party. Tony Blair, who was British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, was also a student at St John’s College, one of Oxford’s wealthiest and most prestigious colleges.
