UCL student denies his campaign to be women’s officer is 'misogynistic'

A male student who was condemned for a “misogynistic” campaign to be elected as a university union’s women’s officer claimed today he was the victim of a “witch hunt”.

Kirk Sneade, 23, was disciplined and ordered to stay away from University College London union buildings after his manifesto was posted online with the slogan “Vote Kirk Sneade, because bitches deserve better”.

He was also criticised after a video was posted on a Facebook page created for his campaign showing Captain Kirk from Star Trek hitting a woman in the face.” Today the natural sciences student claimed the campaign was started by a friend “who thought it would be funny”.

He said the Standard: “I’m totally for women’s rights. There’s no way I would try to belittle any minority or sub-group. I support any liberation groups and what they stand for.

“It’s absurd the union should try to chastise me in light of everything. I have already had my name tainted by allegations of being a misogynist and homophobe and these rumours are unsubstantiated and untrue.

“A small minority wanted to blame someone and I became the villainised face of the campaign. The union’s actions were neither democratic nor fair. It was a witch hunt.”

A union panel decided that though Mr Sneade did not post the offensive material he failed to distance himself enough from the campaign.

Mr Sneade, outlining his commitment to women’s issues in a revised manifesto, said he would “represent and support the women of UCL”.

He pledged to “focus his efforts” on policies offering “tangible change and benefits to UCL’s female students”.

The manifesto states: “Kirk Sneade would like to increase the profile of the sexual harassment helpline around UCL. Women should not feel isolated when there is help”.

Mr Sneade pulled out of the election a day before voting by the student body began on March 8.

The union’s democracy and communications officer Sam Gaus said: “Kirk behaved in a way that had consequences. It would have been easier for everyone if we did not have to deal with a campaign like his.

“The decision to ban him from the UCL union services was made by an independent disciplinary team.”