Information Commissioner's Office

Summary: The complainant has requested details from the Oxford and Cherwell Valley College (-�the College-�) about how many staff have left the College under compromise agreements since September 2011 and the total amount paid out under any agreements during the same period. The College refused to comply with the request as the complainant had made several requests for information previously, one of which was in relation to the same subject matter. The College relied upon Section 14 of the FOIA stating it believed the complaint to be a vexatious one which it considered to be part of an on-going campaign against the College and members of its staff. The College provided detailed information to the Commissioner about a series of requests under both the FOIA and the Data Protection Act 1998 (-�DPA-�) which could be considered distressing, disruptive and harassing in nature. However, insufficient evidence was provided to establish a direct link between the complaint and any campaign against the College. The Commissioner-�s decision is therefore that the request is not vexatious and he requires the College to issue a fresh response.
Section of Act/EIR & Finding: FOI 14 - Complaint Upheld