Row erupts over plans to ban Mensa members with criminal convictions

Elite intelligence society plans to change rules decade after death of member Jimmy Savile

A row has erupted in Mensa over plans to ban members with criminal convictions – more than a decade after disgraced DJ Jimmy Savile, who belonged to the group, died.
Members of the elite intelligence society are understood to be opposed to the plans because of the fact it went against Mensa’s founding ethos of accepting anyone who passes the necessary threshold on an IQ test.
For decades, the society has only required successful applicants to achieve an IQ score that sits among the top 2 per cent of the general population.
The Telegraph can reveal that British Mensa’s Board planned to ban members convicted of serious crimes from the organisation – in order to “protect members” and “uphold the reputation” of Mensa – following a 2021 review on its governance.
It comes 12 years after the death of former BBC DJ Jimmy Savile, who frequently boasted of belonging to Mensa.
The serial sex offender and rapist’s crimes were only uncovered after he died in 2011.
There is no suggestion that Savile committed any offences at Mensa events or that the organisation was aware of his crimes, or any allegations against him.
Documents shared with members ahead of Mensa’s next annual general meeting, which is set to take place in October, read: “The board recently proposed introducing a new code of conduct and disciplinary policy for members.
“One of the ideas floated in this proposal was that applicants could be denied membership, or existing members expelled, due to their conduct outside of the society being deemed inappropriate.
“Member feedback on this proposal was very negative and the proposal was taken away by the Board for further consideration.”
Later on in the paperwork, which has been seen by The Telegraph, a summary of a members’ Zoom call which took place last month, read: “There was a suggestion that the draft disciplinary policy (which, for example, could restrict people from becoming or remaining members if they had criminal records) would be a move away from the original ethos of Mensa that everybody could join if they obtained a suitable IQ test score.”
The original proposals would have seen both new applicants and existing members excluded if they had committed serious crimes.
These would include, but not be limited to offences such as murder, manslaughter, terrorism and rape, according to an inside source.
It was also claimed that under the proposals, members would not only have been expected to tell the board of their own previous convictions, but also to inform on other peers if they had prior knowledge that they may be banned under the new terms.
Mensa was founded in England in 1946 by Roland Berrill, a barrister, and Lance Ware, a scientist and lawyer, who wanted to form a society for people with a high IQ.
Mensa has over 110,000 members worldwide and members of its British arm are granted access to exclusive member-only events as well as specific special interest communities.
Adults pay £65 a year for adult membership, with additional Mensans in a household paying just £30 and under-19s paying £50 annually.
The new policy was the latest in a series of changes which The Telegraph understands has caused upset among Mensa’s 18,000 UK members.
Notes detailed in the same documents also referred to revisions made to British Mensa’s memorandum and articles of association, which moved a number of matters which could previously have been decided by members, to the control of the board.
The documents propose an article which ensure members can “directly influence decisions taken by directors” if a 75 per cent majority of members feel it is appropriate to do so.
A spokesman for Mensa said the board of British Mensa commissioned an independent review to ensure its governance aligned with the “best practice in the sector”.
They said: “Following that review, members have been consulted on all proposed governance changes and their feedback welcomed via member-wide consultation meetings and in writing.”
The spokesman added: “The changes the board proposed are designed both to protect members and uphold the reputation of Mensa.
“They are entirely consistent with current good practice both in membership bodies and in relation to safeguarding across all sectors.
“However, in response to member feedback, the introduction of a new disciplinary policy has been set aside with changes proposed to the existing dispute resolution policy instead, subject to member consultation as outlined above.”