UNI STAFF GO IN RAPE SCANDAL RESPONSE
JAMES Cook University staff embroiled in a scandal over the handling of a rape case involving a staff member have left the university.
The revelation came as a survey released yesterday by the Australian Human Rights Commission found 52 per cent of JCU respondents reported they were sexually harassed in 2016.
JCU academic adviser Douglas Steele was jailed in January y for the rapep of a student inn 2015. The university came under fire for not standing down Steele after he was charged, with one staff member even writing a letter of reference which was tendered to the court.
Vice- Chancellor Sandra Harding g ( picturedp d) said she could not comment on action taken on individuals but “there are staff who are no longer employed by the university”.
THE AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION IS SUGGESTING THAT ALL UNIVERSITIES SHOULD DO SOMETHING OF THIS TYPE SO I GUESS WE’RE ALREADY ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS JCU VICE--CHANCELLOR PROFFESSOR SANDRA HARDING (PICTURED)
JAMES Cook University staff embroiled in a scandal over the handling of a rape case involving a staff member have left the university.
The revelation came yesterday on the back of data from a national Australian Human Rights Commission survey revealing 52 per cent of James Cook University respondents were reportedly sexually harassed in 2016.
The JCU- specific data is drawn from the responses of 833 students who took part in the national survey and shows 25 per cent of students experienced sexual harassment at university, excluding travelling to or from university.
The results also show 1.8 per cent of JCU students were assaulted at university in 2015 or 2016 while 18.9 per cent of students said they knew nothing about where to seek help within the university regarding sexual assault.
The figures come as JCU is midway through an external investigation being run by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick in the wake of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centre academic adviser Douglas Steele being jailed in January for digitally raping an indigenous student in September 2015.
JCU came under fire for not standing Steele down after he was charged, despite some staff members being aware of the case, with one even writing a reference letter that was tendered to the court.
Vice- Chancellor Sandra Harding said yesterday the university would not comment on individual disciplinary actions.
“The university will not comment and cannot comment on disciplinary matters that are confidential and subject to enterprise agreement processes, but I can say there are staff who are no longer employed by the university and a range of steps are being taken with former staff to reflect our expectations of them,” Professor Harding said.
“But those arrangements and those measures are confidential and personal to those staff ... these are not matters that it’s appropriate to comment on save only that the university has and will continue to address such matters consistent with its enterprise agreement obligations.”
Professor Harding said Ms Broderick was expected to deliver her report later this year.
“Interestingly enough the Australian Human Rights Commission is suggesting that all universities should do something of this type so I guess we’re already engaged in that process and I’m pleased that we are,” she said.
A position advertised last week for the head of James Cook University’s indigenous student services division specified that the employee was “required to exercise proper discretion in all matters affecting the wellbeing of the University which involve public writing or speaking in accordance with the University’s Code of Conduct”.