The University College London (UCL) won't reinstate Tim Hunt, after the professor Nobel prize winner infamously shared with the world his "trouble with girls."
Hunt, 72, has tendered his resignation and Michael Arthur, UCL president and provost it was the right thing to do. There have been calls for Arthur to change is mind and decline the resignation, while there have been about as many voices asserting that he should stick with his decision, he stated.
Reversing course and declining the resignation would send the wrong message, plus it's likely Hunt wouldn't want that either, said the provost.
"An honorary appointment is meant to bring honor both to the person and to the University," said Arthur. "Sir Tim has apologized for his remarks, and in no way do they diminish his reputation as a scientist. However, they do contradict the basic values of UCL -- even if meant to be taken lightly - and because of that I believe we were right to accept his resignation."
Hunt's work in cell duplication earned him the Nobel Prize back in 2001. The lauded scientist was speaking at the World Conference of Science Journalists in Seoul, South Korea earlier this month when he make the remark that landed him in hot water and has ultimately tarnished his legacy.
"Let me tell you about my trouble with girls," Hunt is quoted as saying at the conference. "Three things happen when they are in the lab. You fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticize them, they cry!"
He went on to say that he was in favor of single-sex labs, though he didn't want to stand in the way of women, according to reports.
Hunt's sexist, flat-out wrong remarks were picked up by conference attendee Connie St Louis, director of the science journalism MA at City University, London.
After breaking the story about Hunt's sexist remarks, St Louis wrote about her misgiving in "Twitter shaming" him because of the potential the story's moral would be lost as the world focused on the man.
Weeks later, she's still finding that here misgivings were very much founded. What was once a " trickle of privileged men defending Hunt has grown into a river," she says.
