Sydney University warns Jake Lynch over conduct during melee

Sydney University academic Jake Lynch has escaped serious sanction over his involvement in a melee in March.

Sydney University academic Jake Lynch, who has attracted controversy over his vocal support for boycotts against Israel, has escaped serious sanction over his involvement in a melee in March when pro-Palestinian students disrupted a public address on campus.

It is understood university authorities have written to Professor Lynch informing him that an investigation has determined he did not engage in any “serious misconduct”, sparing him from being sacked as the university had earlier warned he could be.

But the university has made findings that Professor Lynch did engage in “unsatisfactory conduct” of a more minor nature, and issued him with a warning.

The university yesterday issued a statement on its investigation into the disturbance in which several students including one with a megaphone interrupted former British army colonel Richard Kemp, a defender of the actions of the Israeli Defence Force, as he talked about the ethics of counter-insurgency operations.

In the ensuing mix-up, security guards manhandled the students out of the lecture hall, one in a headlock and another by all fours, leading Professor Lynch to remonstrate with them, arguing they were endangering public safety in an otherwise peaceful protest.

Professor Lynch, who heads the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, claims a member of the public, semi-retired English literature lecturer Diane Barkas, kicked him in the groin, at which point he said he would sue her if she continued.

Ms Barkas, 73, who is Jewish, admits spraying water over the protesters and trying to grab Professor Lynch’s mobile phone as he filmed her, but says, while her “leg went out”, she did not connect.

The university issued show-cause letters to Professor Lynch, five students, two security guards and several members of the public, including Ms Barkas, alleging improper behaviour, and yesterday announced some of its determinations.

“A number of members of the university community and the public were found to have engaged in unsatisfactory conduct, as a result of which disciplinary action, including counselling, warning and suspension of access rights to the university grounds have been imposed,” the university said.

Disciplinary processes were still under way in relation to five students. Professor Lynch declined to comment.