Re: Filed reply
From: Manuel Graeber <manuel.graeber@professoriate.org> (Professoriate)
To: Daniella White <da.white@smh.com.au>
Date: 13/04/24 17:12
Dear Daniella,
My comments below:
On Fri, 12 Apr 2024 16:37:04 you wrote:
> Hi Manuel,
>
> Below is some of the uni’s defence I am including in the story. If you have
> any further explanation for any of the below, or other comments you would
> like to make, please let me know.
>
> – Uni says you installed security cameras after being given a formal
> warning for doing so and knowing it could be illegal. If you agree this
> happened, do you have an explanation for it?
This is incorrect. It is one of the many falsehoods put out by the current
USyd management under Mark Scott and Annamarie Jagose.
> -uni says you did not comply with requests of senior staff, including
> refusing to meet with your supervisor and refusing to attend teaching
> duties allocated to you
As you will have seen from our submission to the court it is denied
categorically that I did not follow reasonable and lawful directions.
> -uni says you made statements you knew to be false including:
> *comments to Jagose that she was attempting tp evict a
> biomedical researcher, that removing you from the work station would be a
> breach of federal contractual obligations
> *that you falsely said: “the ombudsman has already confirmed Jagose’s
> corrupt conduct”
Management has made a number of defamatory statements and these will be
followed up separately. On 14 January 2024 I have asked the NSW Ombudsman to
refer the necessary investigation of the current USyd management to the
Australian Federal Police.
>
> Also just to clarify:
> – Do you have any further information on the dispute about the research
> space which you were removed from? And what your contractual obligations
> with the commonwealth?
Several million dollars of public money were invested to establish the Ken
Parker Brain Tumour Research Laboratories which I was appointed to lead
(Director of Brain Tumour Research at the University was my curriculum) but
the vast majority of the space (80-90%) was used for completely unrelated work
beyond my or Professor Max Bennett’s, the original founder of the institute,
control inhibiting our development. Similarly, my chair was named in
recognition of a generous donation which supported funding of my position
until 2049. However, in 2019 I was informed by management that there was no
philanthropic support for it. Where did the donated money go and why was it
not used as promised to the donors in both cases? Similarly serious,
infrastructure promised in writing for a world class research project which
got funded by the Australian Research Council was suddenly withdrawn by
management without even informing me being the lead applicant. I have not seen
such disrespect for donations in the five other countries where I have worked
as an academic.
> -what was the nature of your contact with the ombudsman re: Jagose?
Please see above.
I was targeted by the current USyd management for years and dismissed based on
false misconduct allegations. There was no misconduct on my part.
What the public needs to understand is that several corrupt university
managers are hiding behind the good name of our university and are abusing the
university resources in an attempt to cover up their criminal wrongdoing.
The current management is not the University of Sydney which I see myself
defending along with others. There have been very serious violations of my
work contract and there were no whistle-blower protections in place. I
experienced massive harassment after making a public interest disclosure and
my research environment was systematically dismantled. What I am objecting to
most is that innocent students were also targeted in this context (3
terminated and 1 prevented from enrolling) and I consider this the nadir of
managerialist depravity.
The appointment of a new Chancellor is a good development and I hope that he
will clean up thoroughly.
The abuse/weaponisation of processes is not limited to the University of
Sydney. If you follow processes correctly but accept false allegations as fact
the result will still be wrong. This is particularly concerning at a
University where truth is a core academic value. After all what do you teach
and what do you do research for at a University if not the truth? It is
scandalous and happening nationwide which is why the Australian Association of
University Professors (AAUP) and Public Universities Australia (PUA) were
founded. Society needs good universities where facts but not opinions rule and
academic principles such as honesty and integrity are followed – to protect
democracy and also to deal with A.I. Universities are the place where human
intelligence and ideally morals are cultivated.
Higher education, a public good, should not be degraded into a commodity, as
has occurred in recent years. Our society is dangerously playing with its
future in my opinion if the situation is not rectified urgently.
Kind regards
Manuel
Professor Manuel B. Graeber MD PhD FRCPath
President, University of Sydney Association of Professors (USAP)
Vice-President, Australian Association of University Professors (AAUP)
>
> Thanks,
>
> Daniella
>
>