The university tried to dismiss Descheemaeker after an email he sent to Matthew Harding, then dean of the university’s law school, in August 2023, was leaked earlier this year and posted around the Parkville campus.
Professor Marcia LangtonCredit: James Brickwood
In the email, Descheemaeker referred to the university’s recently announced Indigenous cultural safety review as “an ideological re-education camp”.
The review was ordered after a series of resignations of Indigenous academics, culminating in the high-profile departure of former Northern Territory discrimination commissioner Eddie Cubillo from his role as associate dean of the nation’s top-ranked law school.
Cubillo described the school as “the most culturally unsafe place I’ve worked”.
The Age does not suggest Descheemaeker, whose case against the university is scheduled to return to court in February, is one of the academics Langton referred to.
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A university spokesperson did not respond on Friday when asked about how the institution would respond to Langton’s public attack, but defended the institution’s effort to fight antisemitism.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to combat antisemitism on our campuses,” the spokesperson said.
“In January 2023, the university adopted the non-legally binding International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism as part of its anti-racism commitment.
“This year we worked with the special envoy to combat antisemitism and the Group of Eight Australia to contribute to develop a definition of antisemitism for the higher education sector.
“We will continue to use these two definitions as educative tools to inform our understanding of antisemitism.”
The university had another recent setback over its expulsion of two students it accused of harassing and intimidating Jewish academic Steven Prawer as they occupied the professor’s office over his links with the University of Jerusalem.
An internal appeals panel found last month that the university had failed to give proper consideration to the students’ human rights when it decided to kick them out.
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