‘Racist’ tweet incurs the wrath of Jones
Businessman’s lawyer wants immediate retraction and apology
Sir Bob Jones is demanding an apology and retraction after a University of Waikato professor called him “racist” on social media. Associate professor Dr Leonie Pihama, the director of Te Kotahi Research Institute at the university, was served with a letter by Jones’ lawyer John Langford last Friday.
The letter referred to a tweet sent by Pihama the day prior, where she called Jones “racist”.
It follows the news that Jones filed defamation proceedings against a Ma¯ori filmmaker who formed a petition to revoke his knighthood.
“The term ‘racist’ is clearly defamatory, by any reasonable standard. It was simply used as a label in this case and cannot be defended as part of some wider debate, or discussion about race issues,” Langford wrote in the legal letter.
“Sir Robert requires you to immediately withdraw, and retract, your use of this label, and apologise to him, via the same media in which it was published.”
Langford concluded that Jones’ next steps will be determined by Pihama’s approach to the letter.
Yesterday Langford confirmed the authenticity of the letter — which had been circulated on social media for 12 hours.
Hundreds of tweets by other social media users have echoed a similar tone to Pihama’s in response.
“My letter was respectful in tone, and a respectful response would have been appreciated,” Langford told the
Pihama’s tweet was accompanied by a link to the petition to revoke Jones’ knighthood.
She told the she has not responded to Langford’s letter.
“However I received a follow up email on June 11. I have chosen not to respond as I do not respond to threats,” she said.
“If Mr Langford is going to file and the formal documentation is delivered to me I will then engage. Until such time the letter is, in my view, an example of using the legal system as a threat to silence and I will not be bullied in such a manner.” Pihama’s tweet came after the
broke the news that Jones had filed defamation papers in the High Court at Wellington against filmmaker Renae Maihi.
More than 68,000 people signed Maihi’s petition, which was delivered to Parliament in March, in response to Jones’ February 2 column in the
calling for a Ma¯ori “Gratitude Day” instead of Waitangi Day.
The petition was presented to Labour MP Kiritapu Allan with the support of Waikato University Professor Pou Temara.
The petition read: “In signing this petition we urge you, our Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Jacinda Ardern, to take his knighthood away from him. It is in your power. Set a precedent for the country and a message that this will not be tolerated ... ”
Jones’ knighthood is for services to the business community.
removed the column, which Jones said was satire, from its website “due to inappropriate content”. Jones has since stopped writing his column for
A Press Council complaint by Mel Whaanga, who said Jones’ comments were “racist”, was also dismissed in April.
The Human Rights Commission also released a statement praising the removal of the column from website.