UQ: law lecturer comments were ‘not appropriate’

The University of Queensland has admitted that some comments senior law lecturer Dani Linder made in a lecture ‘were not appropriate, after it emerged she berated first year students for leaving class during the topic to Indigenous legal history.

University of Queensland law lecturer Dr Dani Linder.

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The University of Queensland has admitted that some comments by one of its law academics during a lecture “were not appropriate”, after it emerged she berated first year students for leaving class when she turned the topic to Indigenous legal history.

The Australian revealed last week that UQ senior law lecturer Dani Linder chastised first-year, first semester students in 2024 for “protesting against my inclusion of Indigenous perspectives”, warning those students that she remembered their faces and that they should “watch out what you say and what you do” if they ­wanted to do well in their studies.

University of Queensland Vice Chancellor and President Professor Deborah Terry AC.

On Thursday, vice chancellor Deborah Terry admitted that “a number of Dr Linder’s comments were not appropriate” and that “concerns” had been raised with Dr Linder.

“Due to confidentiality obligations, the university cannot provide further details on the action taken,” she said.

Professor Terry said the concerns raised since had been “taken seriously” and went on to “encourage students to report any inappropriate behaviour to the university or anonymously through our established online complaints process”.

The university had earlier said it would take “appropriate action” without detailing what it was.

The Australian revealed Dr Linder had delivered a lecture last year and claimed “tens of” students had walked out when she moved onto Indigenous legal history. In a following lecture, she berated students for the “pretty unprofessional” behaviour and claimed some had made “certain racist comments” about her and the way she taught the course.

“I’m the course co-ordinator with authority to run this subject the way in which I see fit, and the way in which I see fit is in alignment with the Council of Australian Law Deans and their approach to indigenising and their commitment to indigenising the curriculum,” she said in audio shared with The Australian.

Dr Linder went on to warn the students: “Watch what you say and what you do if you want to do well in your law degree, because being politically active in a way that’s protesting against my ­inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and up and leaving … that is really inappropriate and I won’t be tolerating it.

“I remember the faces that got up and walked out.

“I can tell you now if you want to get involved in any work while you’re doing your law degree, you’re not going to get hired and you’re not going to last if this is the type of behaviour that you’re ­engaging with.”

A student, who requested anonymity, said they felt Dr Linder’s comments were a “direct threat”.

Professor Terry on Thursday provided her account of what had happened.

“At the start of 2024, during a first-year lecture on Australian legal history, some students left a lecture as Dr Linder, an Aboriginal academic, began presenting Indigenous content that forms part of the approved curriculum,” Professor Terry said.

“Around the same time (March 2024), an external lawyer informally provided feedback about the course to one of our law school professors.

The University of Queensland campus, St Lucia. Picture: David Clark

“While there was no formal concerns raised by students or others, the head of school asked a senior law professor to undertake a review of the course and lecture content up until that point.

“The review found both to be appropriate, balanced, and aligned with the approved curriculum, with no changes recommended.

“In Week 6, Dr Linder addressed the class in response to concerns raised informally by students regarding possible racist comments made by other students.

“She communicated the university’s expectations for student behaviour in accordance with the student conduct policy.

“While Dr Linder was seeking to address apparent inappropriate behaviour, the university acknowledges that a number of her comments were not appropriate.”

She said the concerns raised since then had been “taken seriously” and that “the university is committed to better support our students and staff to have respectful discussions, particularly around challenging topics”. She said she had “fully briefed” University of Queensland chancellor Peter Varghese.