‘Sex on boardroom table at law firm’
A senior Auckland University of Technology law lecturer has raised further accusations of inappropriate sexual behaviour at law firm Russell McVeagh, including staff having sex with law students in a boardroom.
Russell McVeagh says the incident happened 10 years ago, was consensual, and the staff involved were reprimanded.
It comes as the firm announced an external review of its Auckland and Wellington offices after previous reports of inappropriate sexual behaviour.
On Saturday, lecturer Khylee Quince described the incident on a social media post, saying it took place ‘‘some years ago’’ when she was lecturing at the University of Auckland.
When approached for further comment, Quince declined.
In the Facebook post, she said she had ‘‘held my tongue’’ for the past week but was incensed by the firm’s response to accusations of sexual misconduct that had surfaced in media.
Quince said a student came to her office, saying she had attended a seminar the night before at the firm’s office and was very upset.
‘‘She said that after the seminar, the solicitors and students proceeded to drink the firm’s bar dry and things got out of control – culminating in a number of staff having sex on the boardroom table with several students – in front of the other students.’’
Quince said following inquiries, she was satisfied there were ‘‘no question as to consent’’ so did not report the incident to police.
However, she contacted the firm and demanded a meeting with the senior staff member present at the event.
‘‘He refused to meet or engage with us.’’
She and another lecturer eventually met the firm’s chief executive. They were told the students were adults, who were responsible for their own drinking.
The firm bore no responsibility for the drinking on their premises and it was none of the lecturers’ business, she said she was told.
Quince said the incident affected the student group ‘‘for years’’.
The young women concerned became withdrawn and did not fully participate in the group or in student life generally.
‘‘The whistleblower became persona non grata,’’ Quince said.
A written statement issued yesterday by Russell McVeagh chief executive Gary McDiarmid said over the past 20 years, there were ‘‘a limited number of allegations of poor behaviour involving consensual sexual events including on our premises’’.
The social media post referred to one of these. ‘‘Due to the consensual nature of the event, a formal complaint was never made. However, it was investigated fully and those involved were reprimanded.’’
The statement said for a full formal investigation to be initiated the firm would require a formal complaint to be made so that privacy laws were not breached.
‘‘This has limited our ability to prove the alleged misconduct.’’