University of Queensland has upheld its decision to suspend student Drew Pavlou after appeal

The University of Queensland has upheld its decision to suspend Drew Pavlou, but the student activist has managed to secure a small victory in his fight against his two-year ban. 

STUDENT activist Drew Pavlou has been suspended for semester two from The University of Queensland, removing him from his Senate position, after being found guilty over two out of 11 misconduct allegations.

In a decision sent to the student yesterday, the University of Queensland’s Senate Discipline Appeals Committee upheld the 21-year-old’s suspension but shortened the original two-year sentence to the duration of semester two this year, and mandated he complete 25 hours of campus service before July 2021.

Anti-CCP activist Drew Pavlou sues University of Queensland for $3.5 million

UQ student activist Drew Pavlou reveals cost of suspension fight

Drew Pavlou says he will take the fight to Supreme Court after officially being suspended from UQ for second semester, UQ campus, St Lucia. Photographer: Liam Kidston

The student was found guilty of two out of 11 allegations of misconduct that were compiled by The University of Queensland in an 186-page dossier issued to the student in April.

One of the guilty charges relates to social media abuse of former and current students on Facebook.

And he was also found guilty of misconduct over a stunt in which Mr Pavlou dressed in an orange Hazmat suit and posted a note on the vice-chancellor’s office saying “COVID-19 BIOHAZARD: CONDEMNED”.

In respect to dressing in the biosafety suit, the letter said his conduct failed to treat members of the University community with respect and courtesy, might reasonably have been perceived as intimidating, and unreasonably disrupted staff, and failed to follow a reasonable direction from university staff.

Mr Pavlou said the decision meant that he was removed from his position on the UQ Senate, and unable to run in the student elections later this year.

The 21-year-old English, philosophy and history student had already withdrawn from subjects this semester, citing the pressure of fighting the suspension meant he was unable to continue his studies.

Mr Pavlou said in a “disgusting and cynical PR move the university had “admitted 90 per cent of the charges against him had no basis” and the penalty was reduced by 75 per cent but still suspended him.

“UQ still achieves their purpose of removing me as a Senate member and student representative in order to please the Chinese consulate and punish me for my activism against the CCP,” he said.

“Shameful attack on free speech in Australia, hundreds of thousands wasted constructing a completely shoddy case that cannot stand up to scrutiny, yet still the star chamber does the bidding of its masters.

He said he would ultimately appeal the decision, seeking “total exoneration in the Supreme Court”.

Top Brisbane barrister Anthony Morris QC who has been representing Mr Pavlou pro-bono said it was “quite extraordinary” that the penalty was reduced by three quarters.

“To put this in context, if a criminal appeal from a 12-year sentence resulted in a reduction to 10 years, or even 8 years, nobody would bat an eyelid. But if it was reduced to 3 years, people would wonder what is wrong with the system.”

The University of Queensland has strongly maintained that student disciplinary matters were not a free-speech issue and are initiated by complaints, and has previously rejected “unsubstantiated accusations about any political motivations”.

In a previous public statement, the University said it was an active defender of freedom of speech.

UQ Chancellor Peter Varghese AO said neither of the findings of serious misconduct against Mr Pavlou concerned the student’s personal or political views about China or Hong Kong.

“The University has consistently said that no student Should be penalised for the lawful expression of personal views,” he said.

“This should finally put to rest the false allegations that this process has been an attack on freedom of expression.

Contrary to Mr Pavlou’s comments, there were no findings that any of the allegations were fabricated.”

Originally published as University of Queensland has upheld its decision to suspend student Drew Pavlou after appeal