Coroner warns government on student ‘cancel culture’ after suicide

The suicide of a young man, described as having been “cancelled” by his university peers, has led a coroner to address the government with a warning concerning “self-policing” among some students. Alexander Rogers, 20, was in his third year of studies at the University of Oxford’s Corpus Christi College when he ended his life in January. Oxfordshire coroner Nicholas Graham indicated that Mr. Rogers had been “ostracised” in the days prior to his death, following a woman’s expression of discomfort regarding a sexual encounter between them. In a Prevention of Future Deaths Report, the coroner urged the Department for Education to implement measures to prevent similar fatalities stemming from the detrimental effects of social ostracism. He stated that Mr. Rogers had reported experiencing “name calling, targeted behaviour and exclusion and rejection following allegations made against him about his conduct.” Corpus Christi College subsequently commissioned an independent serious incident review. “That review identified evidence of a concerning practice of social ostracism among students, often referred to as a cancel culture,” the coroner said. “[The review’s] evidence was that this behaviour, where individuals are isolated and excluded from social groups based on allegations or perceptions of wrongdoing, poses a significant risk to student mental health and well-being.” He noted that students “appear to employ social ostracism as a means of ‘self-policing’ their community, often in response to allegations of serious misconduct.” “This occurs in the absence of formal processes and without proper investigation or evidence,” Mr Graham said. Mr. Graham further added: “I did not find on the balance of probabilities that this culture specifically caused or contributed to Alexander’s death, but it did give rise to a concern that circumstances creating a risk of future deaths could occur.” Mr. Rogers’ family has been raising funds for the suicide prevention charity PAPYRUS. In a tribute posted on a fundraising page, they wrote: “The loss of Zander has been seismic.” They continued, “He was and is the epitome of what is good in this world; kind, warm, funny, and an incredible friend to so many.” A spokesperson for the Department for Education stated: “This is a tragic case and our thoughts are with Alexander’s loved ones.“It is essential that students have access to the mental health support they deserve and that universities take all necessary steps to prevent suicides.“We will be working closely with the coroner, the higher education sector and suicide experts, to ensure that lessons from this case inform our ongoing efforts to support student welfare.” For support, if you have been affected by this story, the BBC Action Line web page lists organizations ready to provide assistance and advice. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.