The Oxford Union has found a member guilty of attempting to perform a Nazi salute at last termโs โInto the Wardrobeโ ball.
The member has been suspended for two terms and fined ยฃ40 in line with Union policy forbidding conduct โliable to distress [or] offend.โ The member (who is not named in the re- port in line with Union rules) is also alleged to have โengaged in goose-stepping.โ
The report, by a Union Intermediate Disciplinary Committee, explains that the allegations were corroborated by an un- named member of the Unionโs committee who stated โthat they saw the Defendant with their arm raised at an angle 45 degrees above the horizontal.โ
The initial complainant at one point referred to these gestures as being โentirely reminiscent of a Nazi saluteโ, although the report found that this was not fully corroborated by the evidence presented.
In addition to these allegations, the defendant also stood accused of having goose-stepped in the societyโs bar prior to their alleged conduct in the marquee. However, upon examination of CCTV footage from the bar the panel found no evidence that this had taken place.
As the Defendant entered no plea the disciplinary panel โproceeded as if a โnot guiltyโ plea had been enteredโ. In the course of the defence, the Defendantโs representative presented evidence that the goose-stepping had taken place alongside another unnamed member after โdiscussing the military traditionsโ of the unnamed memberโs country in whose military they had served.
The defendant then noted that in this unnamed country โgoose-stepping continues to take place, before deciding to start goose- stepping while mimicking the traditionโ.
The unnamed member claimed that he had not engaged in Nazi salutes, but had โmoved his arm to five degrees above horizontal reminiscent of the [national] militaryโs practice of raising oneโs sword while goose- stepping, and that the defendant may have done the same.โ
The defendant admitted to having engaged in goose-stepping at the ball which they referred to as โjuvenileโ, and admitted to having been heavily intoxicated at the time, but did not admit to having engaged in conduct reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
The complainantโs representative argued that the claim that these actions were taken in the spirit of โcultural explorationโ were โwildly improbableโ, and argued that โthere was very little evidence of remorse besides the admittance of drunken conduct.โ
The panel nevertheless found that the defendant had engaged in goose-stepping whilst raising their arm at an angle of at least forty-five degrees and laughing on at least one occasion.
They concluded that: โIt is more likely than not that an ordinary member would, when looking at a raised arm coupled with goose-stepping, see an allusion to the Third Reichโ which the defendant himself admitted was โthe most likely explanationโ for such behaviour.
They also stated: โAny symbolism of Nazism, reasonably interpreted, is liable to distress and offend a right-minded memberโ and that โGoose-stepping in itself a symbol of Nazism, is liable to distress and offend a rational, right-minded member and is serious and improper conductโ regardless of the intention of the defendant when raising their arm.
In its concluding remarks, the panel noted: โDuring our hearing it became apparent that although the original complaint had been submitted against a single member, the alleged actions were of two members.
โThe panel was dissatisfied with this situation.โ
However, they found that the rules of the society did not enable them to extend the scope of their investigation beyond that of the original complaint, and as a result no punishment was brought against the second goose-stepping member.
The report did not rule out the possibility of a second investigation. Noting that this was the second time within a year that a case had been brought regarding conduct by an intoxicated member liable to distress or offend other members, the panel โurge[d] all members to enjoy themselves responsibly at Society events.โ
Speaking to Cherwell, Union President Genevieve Athis said: โI can confirm that an Intermediate Displinary Committee did decide to fine and suspend a member that behaved extremely inappropriately at our Hilary Term Ball.
โAfter the incident, the member was removed from the premises by a member of the Unionโs security staff.
โThe complaint was brought by an ex- President on behalf of a member of the Unionโs staff.
โThe goose-stepping itself constitutes a breach of Rule 71 (a) (i) (1) and was deemed by the investigatory panel to be serious and improper conduct.
โIt is very important that all members feel safe when they are on our premises and I think the seriousness of the punishment administered to the member in question illustrates our commitment to this.โ