UQ student Drew Pavlou launches $3.5m legal action

Drew Pavlou, who was suspended over his criticism of Chinese influence on campus, files action against uni.

UQ Student Drew Pavlou. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The student suspended from the University of Queensland over his criticism of Chinese influence on campus is suing the univer­sity, its chan­cellor and vice-chancellor for $3.5m.

Drew Pavlou, 20, filed legal action in the Queensland Sup­reme Court on Thursday claiming UQ’s disciplinary action against him was invalid, that he had been defamed and that there was a civil conspiracy to silence his freedom of speech.

The legal action has been filed against UQ, vice-chancellor Peter Hoj — who has been the target of much of Mr Pavlou’s criticism over his links with China and its global network of Confucius Institutes — and chancellor Peter Varghese.

It follows the decision last month by a UQ disciplinary pan­el to suspend Mr Pavlou’s enro­l­ment for two years after 11 alle­gations of misconduct were lev­elled against him. The final-year humanities student sparked an international incid­ent last year when he staged a protest at the St Lucia campus in Brisbane against Chinese gov­ern­­ment activitie­s.

The suspension covers the duration of his term as a student-elected member of the UQ senate­, the governing body of the university, on which he took his seat in January after a vote of 35,000 undergraduate students.

The charges relate to his activ­ism, as well as alleged abuse of fellow students in online ­forums, although it has since come to light several alleged victims had not complained to UQ.

Mr Pavlou is appealing against the decision.

In the separate civil action, he claims the disciplinary proceedings were invalid and in contravention of UQ’s Student Integ­rity and Misconduct Policy.

He is seeking $3.5m for breach of contract, damages for negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, defamation, deceit and civil conspiracy. The legal action also seeks an injunction to restrain UQ from “continuing to publish … statements which are misleading or deceptive’’.

Mr Pavlou said if the two-year suspension was upheld, it would delay his entry into the workforce and damage his ­chances of pursuing a career “commensurate with his academic record’’. He has a grade-point average­ of 6.778 (out of seven) and has won several academic awards.

A UQ spokeswoman said the university had yet to be given formal notice of the legal action.

“When we receive a formal notice of claim, we will consider it and respond through the approp­riate channels,’’ she said.

The senate held a meeting last Friday called by Mr Varg­hese over concern at the penalty.