By Gavin Mackintosh-
Protesters have accused the University of Cambridge of protecting theology professor James Orr amid mounting questions over his political connections, an alleged donation linked to billionaire Peter Thiel and concerns about student welfare. The university has yet to publicly explain whether it intends to investigate the allegations.
The University of Cambridge is facing growing pressure from students demanding action against theology professor James Orr, as demonstrators staged another protest outside the Faculty of Divinity, accusing the institution of maintaining a culture of silence over concerns surrounding his political activities, financial connections and conduct towards students.
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Protesters gathered outside the Faculty of Divinity at approximately 2pm on Friday, 6 November, coinciding with one of Orr’s A9 ethics lectures. The demonstration formed part of the ‘Fire James Orr’ campaign, launched in August by students, including members of the Faculty of Divinity, with support from the Cambridge Communist Society.
Demonstrators carried flags, banners and drums, chanting slogans including “James Orr, listen here, you were bought by Palantir” and “Cambridge Uni shame, shame”, while also directing criticism at Orr and the University’s vice-chancellor, Deborah Prentice.
The demonstration comes amid continuing controversy over Orr’s former position as Head of Policy for Reform UK, a role from which he resigned in September following an investigation by Channel 4 News and investigative journalism organisation Verbatim.
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The investigation released footage appearing to show Orr and Reform UK aide Dan Jukes discussing arrangements to accept £30,000 worth of polling funded by a US-based donor. The revelations intensified scrutiny of Orr’s political connections and raised questions about the relationship between his political activities and his position at one of Britain’s most prominent academic institutions.
Although Orr has stepped down from his political position, he continues to teach undergraduate ethics at Cambridge. His continued employment has become a central grievance for campaigners, who argue that the university has failed to address serious questions about his conduct and the potential implications for students.
The controversy has also drawn attention to Orr’s reported links with conservative political networks and billionaire technology investor Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir. The ‘Fire James Orr’ campaign has alleged that Orr’s position at Cambridge is connected to a five-figure donation from Thiel. According to individuals familiar with the arrangement,
Thiel offered £10,000 for the use of the Faculty of Divinity through Cambridge in America, a non-profit organisation supporting the university, with the donation channelled through DonorsTrust, a donor-advised fund.
The university has previously confirmed that a gift had been made through DonorsTrust but said the money was returned because the fund would not disclose the identity of the original donor. Cambridge’s policy prohibits the acceptance of donations where the identity of the underlying donor cannot be established.
The university has also rejected suggestions that the Faculty of Divinity received funding from Palantir, Thiel Capital or Peter Thiel directly. A spokesperson said: “It is misinformation to claim that the Faculty of Divinity has received funding from Palantir, Thiel Capital or Peter Thiel.
The University of Cambridge has never received any gifts from Thiel Capital or Peter Thiel. It has received no donations from Palantir since 2019.” The university previously received £6,000 directly from Palantir over a six-year period before 2019, according to information understood by Varsity, to support student bursaries.
However, the financial questions are only one aspect of the growing dispute. Campaigners have also raised concerns about reports that Orr and his wife have hosted postgraduate students at their home on the outskirts of Cambridge. His wife has reportedly described the household as an “alternative Cambridge college”, providing a meeting place for right-wing Christian students.
The campaign has questioned whether such arrangements are compatible with the university’s safeguarding responsibilities, although the concerns have not been established as formal findings of misconduct.
Addressing demonstrators on Friday, one student accused the university of failing to investigate Orr following the Channel 4 revelations and concerns about students living at his home. The speaker described the university’s response as hypocritical, arguing that its stated commitment to safeguarding was inconsistent with what they characterised as inaction over the professor.
They also alleged that students and academics were “scared and intimidated by this man”, accusing Orr of promoting what they described as a distorted form of Christianity under the institutional authority of Cambridge.
The protest was accompanied by a substantial security presence. Officers were stationed at entrances and exits of the Faculty building, and students were required to show identification before being allowed inside.
The Eye Of media has heard that the Faculty had warned students in an email circulated on Thursday that Estate Security would monitor access, instructing staff and students to carry their university identification cards. Faculty head Richard Rex also confirmed that a Proctor would attend Orr’s lecture to maintain order and protect freedom of speech.
Rex’s email referred to the University’s Rules of Behaviour, including provisions prohibiting students from interfering with academic activities and requiring them to comply with legitimate instructions from authorised university representatives. He also said the lecture would be recorded for students who preferred not to attend because of concerns about possible disruption or intimidating behaviour.
The security arrangements have themselves become a source of controversy. One student criticised the university for deploying Proctors in what they described as an excessive response, arguing that the institution appeared more concerned about protecting Orr’s ability to lecture than addressing students’ concerns.
They said it was particularly striking that the Faculty had remained silent for more than two months despite repeated requests for an explanation, yet mobilised security personnel following the disruption of a lecture.
Friday’s demonstration followed an earlier interruption of one of Orr’s lectures on 30 October. During that incident, a student challenged the professor over his former political role, accusing him of contributing to the rise of racism, sexism and transphobia in Britain and bringing right-wing political ideology into the classroom. Orr responded: “My business here is to teach, not to engage in political arguments.”
The dispute has also developed against the background of wider debates about academic freedom, institutional accountability and the treatment of Black academics at Cambridge. Protesters have invoked the experience of Professor Jason Arday, the university’s first Black professor of sociology, who died in February 2025, arguing that Cambridge must be held accountable for how it treats academics and students raising concerns about institutional culture. These comparisons remain campaigners’ criticisms rather than established findings concerning Orr.
The campaign has also accused the university of restricting legitimate student activism, claiming that individuals distributing leaflets about the protest on the Sidgwick Site were instructed by security to leave despite insisting they had breached no university rules. It argues that the university’s response risks undermining the very principle of free expression it invokes when defending Orr’s continued employment.
Meanwhile, Orr has quietly relinquished two academic responsibilities this academic year: chairing the Faculty of Divinity’s undergraduate examination board and convening the Philosophy of Religion master’s degree pathway. He nevertheless retains his undergraduate teaching responsibilities.
With students continuing to demand answers, the central question facing Cambridge is whether it will formally investigate the concerns raised or maintain its position that academic freedom and established university procedures take precedence.
Richard Rex has confirmed that the Proctors are considering the situation following the earlier lecture disruption, but the Faculty has not publicly outlined the nature or scope of any investigation into the allegations against Orr. The dispute is no longer simply about one professor’s political associations. It has become a wider challenge to Cambridge’s approach to transparency, safeguarding, donor accountability and the limits of institutional protection.
Cambridge University was contacted for comment well in advance of this publication.
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