Toxic culture of sex, bullying

Students at New Zealand’s top broadcasting school have described a ‘‘Lord of the Flies’’ atmosphere, where bullying, harassment and heavy drinking were rife.

An external review by a top lawyer into the New Zealand Broadcasting School in Christchurch reveals a toxic learning environment where sexual harassment, bullying and harmful behaviour was widespread among students – with tutors failing to keep it in check.

However, the independent report found the teachers did not harass, bully or discriminate against students.

Although outside the scope of the review, the culture at O¯ tautahi House – Broadcasting School’s main accommodation block – was heavily criticised, by students and by the report.

Hazing and binge drinking at ‘‘initiation’’ events were also found to be causing harm. The report advised Ara should discourage these events – held at the beginning and end of the university year – as they encouraged under-age drinking and unsafe behaviour.

In one case, a student said a lack of pastoral care meant bullying and harassment were allowed to grow at the broadcasting school, and described their experience as ‘‘traumatic’’.

Others said a ‘‘boys’ club’’ atmosphere emboldened much of the bullying and sexual harassment from male students, some of whom would ‘‘leer’’ at the girls and make derogatory comments.

‘‘[I]f you are not in the ‘party culture’ or elect to wear ‘alternative clothing’, you became a target from the so-called ‘cool group’,’’ a student told the investigation.

One said a pyramid chart ranking students in popularity had been taped to the wall and must have been seen by tutors but was not removed.

The five-month review, by Christchurch QC Richard Raymond, also found Ara Institute of Canterbury, which runs the broadcasting school, had inadequate policies and processes for bullying and harassment and made help hard to find for students in need.

In his report, released yesterday, Raymond said he had received ‘‘no information’’ about harassment, discrimination, or sexual harassment by tutors at the school. There was, though, evidence from some interviewees of sexual harassment by male students, he said.

The results of the report were presented to students at the broadcasting school at a nationwide video meeting yesterday.

One student, currently an intern at a major media organisation, said they were ‘‘fuming’’ after the meeting, when little of the report was discussed, they said. Questions from students were not answered, and important issues such as sexual harassment were ‘‘skimmed over’’. ‘‘It was very unfair,’’ the student said.

Another student, Georgie Hanafin, said she did not believe the report was a good indicator of how students feel.

‘‘They reached out to students spanning 2019 to today and only 51 students took part,’’ she said. ‘‘The process was very hard and timeconsuming and thrown at a time where we were working towards end of term assignments before going on holiday.’’ Hanafin said Ara ‘‘has not listened to us’’. Raymond was critical of media reporting of allegations at the school, saying The New Zealand Herald had published a report in October 2021 alleging ‘‘multiple official complaints of bullying and one of sexual harassment have been raised by students against staff members in recent years’’. The report was ‘‘false’’ and tutors had been ‘‘unfairly maligned’’, Raymond said. Herald editor Murray Kirkness said Raymond’s comments were a surprise, as Ara had not raised concerns about the coverage. ‘‘The Herald accepts the article quoted contained an error in referring to multiple

complaints against staff members,’’ Kirkness said. A correction has been added to an October 2021 story published online and Kirkness apologised for any distress it caused staff members.

Still, Raymond’s report found a ‘‘large volume’’ of evidence to show the environment at the broadcasting school had allowed a culture to exist ‘‘which enabled the making of sexist, racist and inappropriate comments . . . predominantly by students but also by a minority of tutors’’.

The review covered intakes from February 2019 through to October 2021 and interviewed 51 people, including staff and current and former students.

Ara Institute of Canterbury acting chief executive Darren Mitchell said Ara accepted the findings and would implement all 60 recommendations.

They include: ‘‘Heavy’’ discouragement of ‘‘initiation’’ and ‘‘de-initiation’’ events where students are hazed and encouraged to drink heavily; compulsory harassment and bullying training for staff and students; compulsory diversity training for staff, particularly in LGBTQI+ issues; training in how to help students with mental health issues; an overhaul of Ara’s policies, including development of standalone harassment and bullying policies; easier access to information for students looking for help for harassment and bullying; better mental health services for students.

Mitchell said every student and staff member had a right to have their health, safety and wellbeing prioritised by Ara.

The Ara Academic Staff of Canterbury group, which represents some of the staff and tutors at the broadcasting school, said they were pleased to see the serious allegations made against staff have ‘‘proved to be unfounded and, in some instances, completely false’’.