Rivalry between Cambridge’s student newspapers reached a climax this week as editor of The Cambridge Student (TCS), Philip Brook, offered his resignation after an attempted hoax was foiled by The Cambridge Tab.
Brook, a second year Historian at Girton College, reportedly sent hoax emails to the Tab from an anonymous email account, pretending to be the victim of sexual harassment by a fellow at St John’s.
The emails suggested that the anonymous student was offered a first “if I went down on him [an unnamed fellow at St John’s]. I said no, and I want something done about it.
“The academic is high up at his college and he will lose his job by the time I’m finished with him.
“He told me if I wanted to really improve my grades, there was another way to get a first. He said he’d give me a “blow by blow account” back in his rooms the next evening.
“Since then, I have received a letter from the college telling me that they’re investigating the allegations.”
The hoax emails included a forged letter from Mattias Dörrzapf, the Senior Tutor at St John’s. The letter assured the victimised student that “St John’s college will investigate the accusations you have made against Dr […] but that the investigation into a complaint of this gravity will take time.”
When approached for comment, Dr Dörrzapf told the Tab, “I am quite puzzled what this could be about. Also, the phrase you are quoting does not sound familiar and does not remind me of anything I would have written recently.
“With the exception of two social events, I was not in College at all during the week 3-9 January and did not write or sign any letters.”
A meeting between the Senior Tutor and the Tab confirmed that the letter had been forged, and St John’s college authorities were informed.
The Tab then traced the emails to Girton College and reported the matter to the college’s Senior Tutor, Andrew Jefferies. After more thorough investigations by the college IT technicians, the hoax emails were traced to Brook’s computer.
Brook offered his resignation as Editor to the Cambridge student on Wednesday morning, following a phone conversation with the Tab in which he refused to comment.
In an emailed statement to the Tab, Brook declared, “I recognise that my actions were a serious lapse of judgement and apologise unreservedly to all parties concerned.
“I would like to make it explicitly clear that I acted in an entirely personal capacity. I did not at any point consult with anybody involved with The Cambridge Student.
“All members of the Editorial Team and Board of Directors were unaware of my actions until yesterday evening. I do not wish to make any further comment at this time.”
In Feburary of last year, the Tab claimed to have hoaxed the TCS sportswriters into printing an article on “bog snorkling” written by ‘Pete Diver’.
The Tab then published an article entitled “Revealed: How we hoaxed TCS” which details how they misinformed TCS, admitting that “our hoax was intentionally misleading.”
Following this week’s news, a spokesperson at the Tab commented, “Student newspapers in Cambridge enjoy a healthy – and often very friendly – rivalry. Regrettably, in this case, a line has been crossed.
“Both the Tab and St. John’s could have been embroiled in an expensive legal battle had he succeeded, and I’m glad we were able to expose him.
“We would, however, still like to maintain a good working relationship with The Cambridge Student.”
According to the Tab, Brook may face disciplinary action from Girton and be forced to pay St John’s solicitors’ fees.
