Tory peer forced to pay damages over antisemitism claims against student

A Conservative peer has been forced to pay ‘substantial damages’ after accusing a University Challenge contestant of antisemitism.

Jacqueline Foster, Baroness Foster of Oxton, 76, was forced to make a public apology to Melika Gorgianeh, a second-year PhD astrophysics candidate at Oxford University, after suggesting that the student had engaged in displaying “disgusting antisemitic symbols” whilst competing on the programme.

The row centred over a jacket that Ms Gorgianeh, a student at Christ Church College, wore in the episode.

In a since-deleted post on the platform X/Twitter, Baroness Foster claimed that the jacket, which is navy blue, pink, orange, and green, contained the colours of the Palestinian flag.

She called for Ms Gorgianeh’s university to expel her, and for the student to be “arrested”

She further suggested that the team’s mascot, a blue stuffed toy octopus, was being used as part of an antisemitic trope. She called for Ms Gorgianeh’s university to expel her, and for the student to be “arrested”.

The episode in question was filmed in March 2023, seven months before the October 7 attacks by Hamas, which have sparked intense global discussions over the Israel-Palestine conflict.

It was aired on November 20, prompting Baroness Foster’s claims.

In response, Ms Gorgianeh instructed lawyers to bring a case of libel and harassment against Foster, a former Member of the European Parliament for North West England who joined the House of Lords in 2021.

Foster made a public apology to the student on X/Twitter on March 6, writing: “Following my public apology on 30 November 2023, and my private apology by personal letter on 1 December 2023, I wish to apologise to Ms Gorgianeh for my part in posts made about her on X on 20 November 2023, following the BBC’s airing of the University Challenge programme.”

“I wrongly alleged that Ms Gorgianeh chose one of the most disgusting antisemitic symbols, a blue Octopus as her team’s mascot, which I held her responsible for. I accept that these allegations were completely false and unfounded.”

Baroness Foster has since deleted the apology.

Words have consequences. And now, through her apology, Baroness Fosters’ words begin to have the consequence of healing the very real damage that had been done to me

Melika Gorgianeh

In a statement, Ms Gorgianeh said: “The false allegation of antisemitism has had a profound and deeply damaging impact on my life.”

She stated that the allegations resulted in her being unable to leave the house, and that she had received several death threats as an outcome of Foster’s comments

She added: “Words have consequences. And now, through her apology, Baroness Fosters’ words begin to have the consequence of healing the very real damage that had been done to me.”

Gorgianeh’s team made it to the quarter-final stage of University Challenge, where they were defeated by the University of Manchester in an episode which aired on March 11.