UK University VC Suspended After Nigerian Wife Exposes Alleged Affair

Professor James Tooley, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buckingham, has been suspended following allegations of an affair with a young woman from Hyderabad, India. The allegations, which have been strongly denied by the 65-year-old academic, surfaced after his Nigerian wife, Cynthia, handed over diaries allegedly written by the woman to the university.

The woman, now in her 20s, claimed in her writings that she had a sexual relationship with Prof. Tooley and detailed how he supported her financially by contributing to her university fees. The allegations date back to when Prof. Tooley was involved in a project in Hyderabad aimed at providing low-cost private schools for underprivileged communities. The diaries suggest the relationship began after she graduated.

Cynthia Tooley, 42, who married the professor after meeting him as a young student in the UK, has been vocal about the accusations. A first-generation Nigerian immigrant, Cynthia stated that she was 18 when she met Prof. Tooley, who was in his 50s at the time. She initially claimed their own relationship began when she was 21 but later revised this to 25. Together, they have two bi-racial children.

Prof. Tooley, who has led the university since 2020, replacing historian Sir Anthony Seldon, has called the claims “baseless and malicious.” In a letter addressed to students in October, the university announced his suspension, pending further investigation. Through his lawyer, Prof. Tooley expressed confidence that he would soon be vindicated.

The young woman, who described the professor as “kind and thoughtful,” defended the relationship in her statements to The Times. “Anyone who reads my diaries can see I was in love with him and wanted to be with him. People will say he used me because he has power and money, but that’s not the case. He is a good man who cares a lot about other people,” she said.