Glasgow University Accused Of Failing Student Who Killed Himself On Graduation Day

Glasgow University has been accused of “failing” a student who killed himself connected graduation time aft being wrongly told he had not done good capable to gain his degree.

Ethan Scott Brown, a 23-year surface science student astatine Glasgow, was told many times he had grounded to get an basal people for 1 people and truthful could not beryllium awarded his grade successful September 2024.

His family said that he took his ain life astatine location successful Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire connected nan time he would person graduated, 13 December. He was recovered dormant successful his chamber by his mother, Tracy Scott.

Tracy and Colin Scott (right) pinch their solicitor, Aamer Anwar, clasp a property convention astatine his firm’s agency successful Blythswood Square, Glasgow connected Tuesday. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA

An soul enquiry by nan assemblage group up aft unit from Brown’s family recovered “systemic” errors successful nan measurement his grade had been graded, owed mostly to disorder astir its appraisal rules.

A precocious retired elder professor who carried retired nan investigation recovered he had capable marks for a 2:1 honours degree; nan errors had not been spotted by either of its soul reappraisal boards aliases an outer reappraisal panel.

The investigation besides recovered Brown had alerted unit that he was suffering from mediocre intelligence health, who had grounded to connection him counselling and support – omissions Glasgow University acknowledged connected Tuesday.

“Ethan near this world believing he had failed, and [that] nan University of Glasgow were correct,” Scott said, arsenic nan family and their lawyer, Aamer Anwar, released nan university’s enquiry findings.

“The truth is, Ethan had successfully attained a 2:1 honours degree, contempt nan assemblage many times informing him he had been unsuccessful.

“They grounded him, not only academically, but besides to support him. My boy was grounded from having a work of attraction from nan acquisition system, resulting successful my family having been robbed from having Ethan successful our lives.”

Sitting pinch Ethan’s stepfather, Colin Scott, and his uncle Alan Neil by her side, she added: “Ethan was a kind, caring young man who was very overmuch loved. So it breaks my bosom to now beryllium alert of nan intelligence anguish this assemblage must person caused my son.”

The assemblage admitted nan failings. “We are profoundly sorry that this unspeakable arena occurred and understand nan heavy distress it has caused Ethan’s family,” it said successful a statement.

“The study recovered that a tragic correction had been made successful calculating Ethan’s grade outcome. It indicated that this correction should person been picked up during nan exam committee process. A further shortcoming progressive communications pinch Ethan, including nan truth that he was not referred to student support services erstwhile he disclosed wellbeing concerns.”

It rejected suggestions those problems affected different students and was “confident that nan correction successful narration to Ethan’s marks was an isolated 1 and that nary different students person been affected.

“Even so, we person undertaken a thorough reappraisal of our world and wellbeing policies and practices. We person besides revised our training programmes for members of unit progressive successful exam boards.”

Anwar, nan family’s solicitor and a erstwhile Glasgow University rector elected by its students, said nan soul reappraisal besides revealed failures by unit successful its geographical and world sciences section to respond to Brown’s requests for an update complete nan summer.

It recovered unit besides grounded to follow-up his warnings of “deteriorating wellness and distress” erstwhile he sought 2 coursework deadline extensions successful his last year.

“They inquire whether this systemic nonaccomplishment would ever person been identified had Ethan not died and his family had not fought for answers,” Anwar said. “To beryllium clear, had nan family not contacted nan assemblage connected nan 13th January and demanding answers, they would person been nary nan wiser.”

Anwar said nan assemblage had offered nan family a further gathering pinch its caller principal, Prof Andy Schofield connected Tuesday but only if he was not involved. The assemblage did not remark straight connected that allegation, but said Schofield was consenting to meet them again “to definitive his sympathies and talk nan actions taken by nan university”.

• In nan UK and Ireland, Samaritans tin beryllium contacted connected freephone 116 123, aliases email jo@samaritans.org aliases jo@samaritans.ie. In nan US, you tin telephone aliases matter nan National Suicide Prevention Lifeline connected 988, chat connected 988lifeline.org, aliases text HOME to 741741 to link pinch a situation counselor. In Australia, nan situation support work Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other world helplines tin beryllium recovered astatine befrienders.org