Dr Sisitha Jayasinghe fails in bid to get uni job back after sacked for sexual harassment

A University of Tasmania lecturer has failed in his bid to get reinstated after being sacked for sexual harassment. Read why.

Sisitha Jayasinghe challenged his dismissal by the University of Tasmania by filing an application to the Fair Work Commission

A Tasmanian academic has lost his bid to get his job back after being sacked for sexually harassing a student including giving her a jumper and $190 bottle of Chanel perfume and telling her she was sexy and could start an OnlyFans account.

Dr Sisitha Jayasinghe, was a lecturer in health and biomedical sciences at the University of Tasmania’s campus for five and a half years and until he was sacked had “an unblemished employment record”.

He was sacked in May 2024 after the university found he had sexually harassed a post-graduate student and research assistant who worked on a project he was leading. Dr Jayasinghe was not accused of any criminal wrongdoing.

University of Tasmania new logo

In dismissing his application to the Fair Work Commission seeking to be reinstated and to receive back pay, Commissioner Tim Lee said Dr Jayasinghe was in “complete denial as to his conduct and has instead engaged in blaming the victim for his conduct”.

“The Applicant has shown virtually no insight into his conduct or remorse I have set out earlier my consideration of the evidence and findings on this point,” Mr Lee said.

“His conduct was wilful and deliberate and it was serious misconduct.

“The continued insistence of the Applicant that it was Student A who had feelings for him despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary, demonstrates the respondent could not ever trust the applicant to work closely with students of staff or the Respondent.

“It is abundantly clear on the evidence the Applicant lacks insight and remorse for what he has done.”

Evidence had been given that Dr Jayasinghe gave the student a bottle of Chanel perfume and a jumper saying gift giving was a customary practice in his culture.

Mr Lee accepted the student’s evidence that during gym sessions Dr Jayasinghe made comments to the effect about the student starting an OnlyFans account including telling her he thought she was sexy.

“If you go to the gym, you’ll have a big bum and then you can start an OnlyFans” and “you collaborate with me on research papers, but you won’t collaborate in the bedroom with me.”

Originally published as Dr Sisitha Jayasinghe fails in bid to get uni job back after sacked for sexual harassment