Jenny Leong still wants answers from NSW Police over ‘racist’ posts

Newtown state Greens MP Jenny Leong is taking legal action against NSW Police over a series of offensive Facebook posts which mocked her race and ethnicity.

State Newton MP Jenny Leong is still seeking answers around racist comments posted to social media in March 2016. Picture: John Appleyard

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NEWTOWN state Greens MP Jenny Leong is taking legal action against NSW Police over a series of offensive Facebook posts which mocked her race and ethnicity.

Ms Leong told the Courier she lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission to seek long-awaited answers detailing what disciplinary action was taken against officers involved as well as what is being done more broadly to address racism in the force.

In March 2016, a NSW officer changed his profile picture to the one used by Ms Leong and posted offensive comments including: ‘It is cause I so Asian’ and “Her daddy was a swamp monkey’, which were liked and approvingly commented on by other officers.

Ms Leong said she was still in the dark about the outcome of an internal review into 10 officers completed almost a year ago, despite her also lodging a freedom of information request.

“The reason I’m taking this forward is because I’m very concerned about the culture within the police and the concept that police are investigating police for wrongdoings with no transparency for how that is being done,” she said. “If I’m being treated like this as a member of parliament, how are young people from disadvantaged backgrounds being treated when they make a complaint?

“If (the police) believe they have dealt with this appropriately then they should be able to disclose to people when they ask them, particularly journalists, about what action has been taken.”

Maurice Blackburn lawyer Giri Sivaraman is handling Ms Leong’s complaint to the Human Rights Commission. Picture: David Kelly

NSW Police did not answer several questions from the Courier.

“As the matter is now subject to legal action, the NSW Police Force is not in a position to comment,” a spokesman said.

Maurice Blackburn employment law principal Giri Sivaraman, who is acting for Ms Leong, said her complaint had been “passed back and forth within NSW Police” since April 2016.

“Yet she still has not received a substantial response from police as to their findings regarding her complaint and actions taken,” he said.

“The social media posts made about Jenny in March 2016 were roundly condemned for

being highly offensive and inappropriate, yet NSW Police continue to advise only that their

investigation has concluded and management action has been taken.

“Very few substantive details have been provided about what that entails and more broadly what is being done to address concerns about racist and offensive behaviour within the NSW Police Force.”

Ms Leong did receive a letter of apology last December from Kings Cross LAC commander Michael Fitzgerald, which acknowledges the “main two officers involved” were from the Kings Cross command and that “significant management action has been taken against those officers and other officers involved in those posts”.

Ms Leong’s complaint to the Human Rights Commission will seek recognition the Facebook posts breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, with the first stage of conciliation expected to start within days.

Ms Leong is seeking a commitment by NSW Police to engage external providers to provide cultural and racial awareness training to all staff, a public declaration that members of the police force engaged in unlawful and offensive behaviour, an apology and compensation.