Covid-19 expert Dr Siouxsie Wiles is taking on the University of Auckland in the Employment Court this week.
The three-week hearing follows complaints to the Employment Relations Authority, claiming the university employer failed to respond adequately to safety concerns arising from harassment and threats from the public.
An earlier determination, in 2021, noted Sean Hendy (a professor at the university at that time) and Wiles (an associate professor) suffered “vitriolic, unpleasant, and deeply personalised threats” impacting their physical safety and mental health.
Wiles was the victim of “doxxing” – the act of publishing revealing personal details online – while Hendy was physically confronted at his university office. (Hendy is no longer part of proceedings. He resolved his differences with the university when he left for a new role with Toha NZ in October last year).
The university denies unjustifiably disadvantaging the academics or breaching its statutory obligations.
NZ Herald
Read more here. Discuss it on The BFD.
