Statements of Support
Virginia Mansel Lees, NTEU La Trobe University Branch President
Three students have been asked to respond to allegations brought under the General Misconduct Statute in relation to their involvement in protests on Open Day against cuts to staffing and subjects in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
NTEU strongly defends the right of staff and students to organise and participate in protest activities and rejects the proposition that such activities must be “authorised” or could be the subject of disciplinary action.
The Union has been told that the charges against the three students principally relate to assaults alleged to have occurred during the Open Day protests. It goes without saying that the Union does not support violence on campus in any form, however, we question whether the General Misconduct Statute is the appropriate mechanism for investigating these claims.
It is essential that the students involved are able to adequately defend the allegations, and given the serious nature of the charges, they should not be denied legal representation as part of an internal process. NTEU is concerned that an internal investigation could create prejudice in relation to potential court action that may follow.
Three students have been asked to respond to allegations brought under the General Misconduct Statute in relation to their involvement in protests on Open Day against cuts to staffing and subjects in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
NTEU strongly defends the right of staff and students to organise and participate in protest activities and rejects the proposition that such activities must be “authorised” or could be the subject of disciplinary action.
The Union has been told that the charges against the three students principally relate to assaults alleged to have occurred during the Open Day protests. It goes without saying that the Union does not support violence on campus in any form, however, we question whether the General Misconduct Statute is the appropriate mechanism for investigating these claims.
It is essential that the students involved are able to adequately defend the allegations, and given the serious nature of the charges, they should not be denied legal representation as part of an internal process. NTEU is concerned that an internal investigation could create prejudice in relation to potential court action that may follow.
Alma Torlakovic, elected Branch Committee member and chair of the 'No Job Cuts' campaign
Students at La Trobe are being victimized for defending the Humanities faculty they love. That three students are now facing expulsion, for working to save 45 jobs, is ridiculous and exposes the administration’s contempt for both staff and students. It is a good thing that students have stood up against this injustice, especially in the context of VSU which was introduced to silence dissent on campus and weaken student unionism.
At Sydney University last year we held a vibrant campaign to fight the sackings of hundreds of staff. We in the NTEU were proud of consistently large mobilisations of staff and students, despite the administrative intimidation that went as far as calling the police onto campus to act like thugs. It was an inspiration to work alongside confident and organised students who were prepared to stand alongside staff in our fight against the injustices carried out by management. The La Trobe students have shown courage in their fight to stop the cuts and I fully support their campaign and now their fight to defend free speech on campus.
Students at La Trobe are being victimized for defending the Humanities faculty they love. That three students are now facing expulsion, for working to save 45 jobs, is ridiculous and exposes the administration’s contempt for both staff and students. It is a good thing that students have stood up against this injustice, especially in the context of VSU which was introduced to silence dissent on campus and weaken student unionism.
At Sydney University last year we held a vibrant campaign to fight the sackings of hundreds of staff. We in the NTEU were proud of consistently large mobilisations of staff and students, despite the administrative intimidation that went as far as calling the police onto campus to act like thugs. It was an inspiration to work alongside confident and organised students who were prepared to stand alongside staff in our fight against the injustices carried out by management. The La Trobe students have shown courage in their fight to stop the cuts and I fully support their campaign and now their fight to defend free speech on campus.
Monash Student Association
That this MSC stands in solidarity with La Trobe students who have been called before the secretive and unaccountable University misconduct committee, threatened with expulsion merely because they exercised their democratic right to protest against massive cuts to the Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty earlier this year. Further, that this MSC directs the MSA President to publicise this outrageous attack on the right to protest via the MSA Facebook page and endorses the protest held against John Dewar on the 18/12/2012.
That this MSC stands in solidarity with La Trobe students who have been called before the secretive and unaccountable University misconduct committee, threatened with expulsion merely because they exercised their democratic right to protest against massive cuts to the Humanities & Social Sciences Faculty earlier this year. Further, that this MSC directs the MSA President to publicise this outrageous attack on the right to protest via the MSA Facebook page and endorses the protest held against John Dewar on the 18/12/2012.
Kate Dohrti, Central Councillor of the Public Service Association (NSW)
As a public servant facing deep funding and staff cuts from the NSW government I absolutely support the La Trobe students campaign against the HUSS cuts. The University's attempt to criminalise protest on campus is shameful. To hold trials without allowing legal representation is a denial of natural justice. Workers and students around Australia need to fight cuts to our jobs and services. Solidarity with the leaders of this vibrant campaign.
As a public servant facing deep funding and staff cuts from the NSW government I absolutely support the La Trobe students campaign against the HUSS cuts. The University's attempt to criminalise protest on campus is shameful. To hold trials without allowing legal representation is a denial of natural justice. Workers and students around Australia need to fight cuts to our jobs and services. Solidarity with the leaders of this vibrant campaign.
Emma Dook, Current La Trobe Student Union disAbility officer:
As a fellow participant in the anti-HUSS cuts protests, I fully support the students who've been singled out by the University admin. The accusations are outrageous- the only violence that ever took place was on the side of the security guards, acting under orders from Uni admin. This amounts to an attack on free speech and the right to protest on campus, and the disciplinary charges should be dropped. The only ones who should be forced to explain their actions are the VC, Dean of Humanities and co., who are responsible for gutting the Humanities department and sacking staff in the process.
As a fellow participant in the anti-HUSS cuts protests, I fully support the students who've been singled out by the University admin. The accusations are outrageous- the only violence that ever took place was on the side of the security guards, acting under orders from Uni admin. This amounts to an attack on free speech and the right to protest on campus, and the disciplinary charges should be dropped. The only ones who should be forced to explain their actions are the VC, Dean of Humanities and co., who are responsible for gutting the Humanities department and sacking staff in the process.
Tom Bramble, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Relations at the University of Queensland:
As a La Trobe University alumnus (PhD, 1993), I support the right of students to protest on campus even if this should inconvenience the Vice Chancellor and disrupt "business as usual". A university is not a private corporation run in the interests of its senior management but a place where students and staff should have a real say in decisions that crucially affect their conditions of study and work. Cutting courses and staff numbers in this way is intellectual vandalism and should be forthrightly opposed. I urge La Trobe University administration to drop the disciplinary charges against these students.
As a La Trobe University alumnus (PhD, 1993), I support the right of students to protest on campus even if this should inconvenience the Vice Chancellor and disrupt "business as usual". A university is not a private corporation run in the interests of its senior management but a place where students and staff should have a real say in decisions that crucially affect their conditions of study and work. Cutting courses and staff numbers in this way is intellectual vandalism and should be forthrightly opposed. I urge La Trobe University administration to drop the disciplinary charges against these students.
Ryan Higginson, Concerned high school graduate:
As a year twelve student applying for La Trobe University in 2013, I was appalled to hear of the extremely undemocratic and unjust disciplinary actions taken against students who stood up for their education.
I was there on Open Day, looking at courses when the protests happened. The only violence I witnessed was on behalf of heavy handed security guards, who manhandled students, and pushed them to the ground.
On the protester's actions, I saw a peaceful demonstration of students taking an active interest in their education and their future, adding “colour and movement” to the university.
La Trobe has advertised itself to prospective students as a bastion of “progressive” and “independent” thinking. However, all the evidence points to the contrary: they try to stop students having a say in the future of their courses, and then subject any who do to a kangaroo court using trumped up charges of “assault” and threats of expulsion.
It is because I believe in student's rights, and because I want the university I enrol in to respect them that I fully support the La Trobe 3.
As a year twelve student applying for La Trobe University in 2013, I was appalled to hear of the extremely undemocratic and unjust disciplinary actions taken against students who stood up for their education.
I was there on Open Day, looking at courses when the protests happened. The only violence I witnessed was on behalf of heavy handed security guards, who manhandled students, and pushed them to the ground.
On the protester's actions, I saw a peaceful demonstration of students taking an active interest in their education and their future, adding “colour and movement” to the university.
La Trobe has advertised itself to prospective students as a bastion of “progressive” and “independent” thinking. However, all the evidence points to the contrary: they try to stop students having a say in the future of their courses, and then subject any who do to a kangaroo court using trumped up charges of “assault” and threats of expulsion.
It is because I believe in student's rights, and because I want the university I enrol in to respect them that I fully support the La Trobe 3.
Write you own Statement of Support and email it to [email protected]
Statements from the accused
Llanon Davis
I am one of the three students targeted by the university through general misconduct charges. We are being singled out for participating in student protests at La Trobe in opposition to major cuts to the Humanities and Social Sciences faculty which involved the loss of 60% of subjects and the sacking of a quarter of faculty staff. For daring to speak out against these cuts we are being threatened with possible expulsion.
The specific allegations I'm being charged with are quite ludicrous: participating in unauthorised protest on Open Day and verbally abusing, threatening and physically assaulting the Dean. The University claims that I knocked him to the ground. This allegation of assault is an outrageous fabrication, for which the University has shown no evidence. I never had any physical contact with the Dean and neither did any other students at the protest. The only assault I saw that day was from security guards hired by the University assaulting students – one of those incidents was captured on camera and the video has been displayed publicly on youtube and the mainstream news.
The only thing we are guilty of is participating in the protests. Since when is it a crime in a democratic country to organise and attend a peaceful protest about policies that affect us? The university wants to make it a crime for students to publicly voice their opinion about how the university management’s policies affect our education.
The political motivation of La Trobe University’s general misconduct charges is clear from the way that despite the serious nature of its allegations of assault the university is unwilling to present its case to the criminal courts where it would have to provide real evidence. Instead it is subjecting us to its own private hearings behind closed doors, out of sight, out of mind. In fact we are to be denied the right to bring any legal representation or even anyone with a law degree to the general misconduct hearings. This is clearly a witch hunt with a kangaroo court designed to silence any kind of dissent from students. It is a blatant attack on our civil liberties that sets an alarming precedent.
The impact of these allegations of misconduct upon me personally has been emotionally draining. This has had a negative impact on my studies as a PhD research student and I do not sleep well due to anxiety. I had to work pretty hard to get my research scholarship to study archaeology in Australia. I went to an average state school and I'm the only member of my family to get a university degree. Even after studying hard for 6 years to get the grades and go through Honours so I could make it to postgraduate level, I had to keep applying three years in a row before I finally got a scholarship. That's all about to be blown away by the vice chancellor who's more concerned about squashing the voices of students and staff under his boot-heel. And so for speaking out against the gutting of our faculty we are subjected to more tyranny and slander.
Nevertheless, I remain defiant in the face of the university’s allegations. We have done nothing wrong. All we are guilty of is organising and participating in protests which involved peaceful civil disobedience to make our voices heard in opposition to major cutbacks which threaten the quality of our education. For this we are being victimised and threatened with possible expulsion. I therefore encourage all in the interests of free speech and the right of students to protest on their campus to defend us and condemn the university’s shameful attack on our rights.
I am one of the three students targeted by the university through general misconduct charges. We are being singled out for participating in student protests at La Trobe in opposition to major cuts to the Humanities and Social Sciences faculty which involved the loss of 60% of subjects and the sacking of a quarter of faculty staff. For daring to speak out against these cuts we are being threatened with possible expulsion.
The specific allegations I'm being charged with are quite ludicrous: participating in unauthorised protest on Open Day and verbally abusing, threatening and physically assaulting the Dean. The University claims that I knocked him to the ground. This allegation of assault is an outrageous fabrication, for which the University has shown no evidence. I never had any physical contact with the Dean and neither did any other students at the protest. The only assault I saw that day was from security guards hired by the University assaulting students – one of those incidents was captured on camera and the video has been displayed publicly on youtube and the mainstream news.
The only thing we are guilty of is participating in the protests. Since when is it a crime in a democratic country to organise and attend a peaceful protest about policies that affect us? The university wants to make it a crime for students to publicly voice their opinion about how the university management’s policies affect our education.
The political motivation of La Trobe University’s general misconduct charges is clear from the way that despite the serious nature of its allegations of assault the university is unwilling to present its case to the criminal courts where it would have to provide real evidence. Instead it is subjecting us to its own private hearings behind closed doors, out of sight, out of mind. In fact we are to be denied the right to bring any legal representation or even anyone with a law degree to the general misconduct hearings. This is clearly a witch hunt with a kangaroo court designed to silence any kind of dissent from students. It is a blatant attack on our civil liberties that sets an alarming precedent.
The impact of these allegations of misconduct upon me personally has been emotionally draining. This has had a negative impact on my studies as a PhD research student and I do not sleep well due to anxiety. I had to work pretty hard to get my research scholarship to study archaeology in Australia. I went to an average state school and I'm the only member of my family to get a university degree. Even after studying hard for 6 years to get the grades and go through Honours so I could make it to postgraduate level, I had to keep applying three years in a row before I finally got a scholarship. That's all about to be blown away by the vice chancellor who's more concerned about squashing the voices of students and staff under his boot-heel. And so for speaking out against the gutting of our faculty we are subjected to more tyranny and slander.
Nevertheless, I remain defiant in the face of the university’s allegations. We have done nothing wrong. All we are guilty of is organising and participating in protests which involved peaceful civil disobedience to make our voices heard in opposition to major cutbacks which threaten the quality of our education. For this we are being victimised and threatened with possible expulsion. I therefore encourage all in the interests of free speech and the right of students to protest on their campus to defend us and condemn the university’s shameful attack on our rights.