Former university vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen groped staff, ICAC finds

The University of Adelaide has been rocked by an explosive ICAC report, which found Peter Rathjen groped and kissed two staff and lied about an affair.

The University of Adelaide has been rocked by an explosive ICAC report which found Peter Rathjen groped and kissed two staff against their will.

An explosive ICAC report found former University of Adelaide vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen groped and kissed two female staff against their will, lied about a sexual affair he had with another staff member, and lied repeatedly about past claims of sexual harassment against a female student at another university.

In a bombshell report that raises questions about the university’s governance process, it has also emerged that the Group of Eight university’s former chancellor Kevin Scarce, a former governor of SA, was forced out of his job while trying to inquire into Professor Rathjen’s misconduct.

At a time when UA is reeling from a collapse in revenue, the ICAC report puts pressure on the university’s governing council and, specifically, its new chancellor, Catherine Branson, who the report says told Mr Scarce that she wanted his job — and that if he did not resign he would be sacked.

It was Mr Scarce who as chancellor put the investigation in tow by reporting his concerns about Professor Rathjen to ICAC.

Adelaide University’s former vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen. Picture: Monique Louise Ferguson

UA issued a statement late on Wednesday from Ms Branson saying it would comply with all of ICAC’s recommendations, apologising to the women affected by the former VC’s behaviour, and conceding that UA’s handling of the matter was “not appropriate”.

“The conduct of the former vice-chancellor as outlined in the ICAC statement is unacceptable and does not represent our values or expectations of behaviour at the university from any staff member, especially our most senior leader,” her statement read.

“This behaviour shouldn’t be tolerated, whether in a university, another workplace, or any part of our community. We are particularly distressed by, and apologise for, the impact that the former vice-chancellor’s behaviour has had on others.”

In a series of devastating findings for Professor Rathjen — who was interviewed last month by ICAC commissioner Bruce Lander QC and resigned the following day, citing ill-health — the report finds him guilty of “serious misconduct” and states he lied repeatedly to the former chancellor and ICAC.

University of Adelaide Chancellor Kevin Scarce. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

As a result of the ICAC inquiry, the university accepted that Professor Rathjen’s conduct was “repugnant to the university’s values of honesty, respect and fairness”.

At the request of the two harassed women and the university, Mr Lander decided to withhold the full 170-page report he wrote for fear of further victimising the pair, and instead released a condensed 12-page report which fully respects their anonymity.

The report shows Professor Rathjen’s downfall started at a university function on April 19 last year at which he subjected the two staff members, known only as A and B, to sustained and unwelcome advances. The report says he hugged and touched Ms A’s bottom while they were at a hotel, touched Ms A’s bottom on a walk to another hotel, then hugged Ms A and touched her bottom on two occasions while they were at the second hotel.

He then kissed Ms A on the mouth on two occasions, placed one hand on Ms B’s waist while they were at the hotel, then hugged Ms B while they were at the hotel and in doing so placed both of his hands around her waist. “I have found, contrary to the evidence given by Professor Rathjen, that his conduct was sexual in nature,” Mr Lander found.

The report states that when one of the women complained to her manager, the UA human -resources department was called in and a meeting was ordered between Mr Scarce and Professor Rathjen, after which the chancellor wrote to the VC on May 14 admonishing him for his behaviour.

Then in July information came to light suggesting Professor Rathjen had faced “very serious” allegations of harassment or abuse of a female student while working at Melbourne University. When Mr Scarce raised those claims, the vice-chancellor said there was “nothing he needed to know” and that he had received legal advice to that effect.

Mr Lander rejects those assertions. “The vice-chancellor’s evidence that he received advice from a lawyer to effectively mislead the chancellor was false,” the report states. “The vice-chancellor lied to the chancellor because he knew, if he told the chancellor the truth, that he was subject to investigation in relation to a previous claim of sexual misconduct it would jeopardise his tenure at the University of Adelaide.”

The third scandal emerged late last year, with the report stating “there were rumours circulating that the vice-chancellor had engaged in sexual conduct or sexual relations with a woman in circumstances which might impact upon his position”.

Again, Mr Scarce asked Professor Rathjen if there was any truth to the rumours. The vice-chancellor said there was not.

“I have found that the vice-chancellor also lied to the chancellor in that regard,” Mr Lander stated. “During the course of his evidence before me … he denied … any such conduct.

“When it became clear to him that information had been provided to me that would establish that answer to be false, he admitted that he had engaged in that conduct. He also admitted that he lied to me.”

The report also questions the manner in which the then deputy Ms Branson succeeded Mr Scarce as chancellor. “The chancellor was advised that for the good of the university and for his own good he ought to consider resigning,” the report states. “Otherwise a recommendation would be made to the council that he be stood down.

“The deputy chancellor also advised him that she wished to become chancellor. The chancellor was given a fait accompli. If he did not resign he would be stood down. That would have been extraordinarily embarrassing.”