In September 2017, Richardson attracted criticism from students, academics, politicians, and the British press for remarks made in defence of academic freedom that were interpreted by critics as a defence of academics holding anti-gay views towards students. Richardson had previously been involved in debates around free speech and around attempts by university students to bar some speakers from campuses. At the University of St. Andrews, Richardson encouraged academics to share their views on the independence referendum and in her first few months at Oxford University she voiced the view that higher education was not meant to be a comfortable experience and that students ought to engage with views they found objectionable.