University board set to censure VC

Massey University’s board is moving against its vicechancellor, after internal emails revealed she plotted to ban Don Brash from a speaking event, before cancelling the event over security concerns.

The educator’s academic board – the highest decisionmaking level of the university – tabled two motions to censure vice-chancellor Jan Thomas.

Deputy pro vice-chancellor Professor Chris Gallavin said the first motion was for stopping Brash speaking at the Palmerston North campus. The second was for mishandling the information about the justification of that decision.

Brash, a former leader of the National Party, was supposed to speak at a Massey University Manawatu¯ Politics Club event in August but Thomas cancelled the venue booking.

At the time, she publicly cited security concerns, but internal emails obtained under the Official Information Act by blogger David Farrar show Thomas didn’t want ‘‘a Te Tiriti-led university being seen to be endorsing racist behaviours’’.

Gallavin was made aware of the emails on Tuesday and found them ‘‘incredibly disappointing’’.

‘‘They painted a narrative that did not align with what I originally thought was untenable – that the decision to cancel the event was all about security,’’ he added.

‘‘Before these emails, I believed there was enough evidence in the public domain to show that it was difficult to maintain it was about all security. I still had residual questions.’’

The board asked Thomas if it was really about a security issue or whether it was that she objected to Brash but she maintained it was security, he said. ‘‘For these emails to come out now, it’s incredibly undermining.’’

He said the two censure motions were seconded and would remain live until the board meets in October, when they would be voted on.