Eleven complaints ‘relate directly to period of Rathjen’s tenure’: UTAS

Eleven complaints, including allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying, have been made to the University of Tasmania’s review into the period Peter Rathjen was its vice-chancellor.

Former University of Tasmania vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen. Picture: Monique Louise Ferguson

Eleven complaints, including allegations of sexual misconduct and bullying, have been made to the University of Tasmania’s review into the period Peter Rathjen was its vice-chancellor.

UTAS, which ordered the review after South Australia’s anti-corruption body found Professor Rathjen sexually harassed two women, said on Friday it would now offer to formally investigate the allegations.

“We want to be clear this review was not a formal investigation into individual complaints,” said UTAS people officer Jill Bye. “This was an investigation into the university and its handling of issues that arose at the time.

“As a result, the specific complaints have not been put to anyone but should anyone who came forward wish to pursue a complaint, they will be supported to do so.”

The university refused to release the review, conducted by barrister Maree Norton, or to detail the allegations against Professor Rathjen, citing confidentiality.

UTAS said Ms Norton received 11 complaints from 11 people, with “themes including sexual misconduct, bullying, discrimination and failures in complaints systems and handling”.

Three of these “related directly to the former vice-chancellor”. “The remaining eight related to workplace culture more broadly and people’s treatment within the university during Professor Rathjen’s tenure,” UTAS said.

Ms Bye repeatedly refused to clarify which “themes” applied to the complaints relating directly to Professor Rathjen, citing the “confidentiality” of complainants.

UTAS chancellor, former Labor premier Michael Field, said the university apologised to “victims and survivors from the period”. “We are deeply sorry for all the distress these failures have caused,” Mr Field said.

Professor Rathjen on Friday did not responded to a request for comment. In late August, an explosive SA ICAC report found Professor Rathjen, when serving as University of Adelaide VC, inappropriately touched and kissed two female staff against their will.

ICAC found Professor Rathjen had also lied about allegations of sexual harassment relating to his time at the University of Melbourne.

The National Tertiary Education Union, which pushed for the independent inquiry at UTAS, said it was “not surprised at all” to hear of the 11 complaints relating to Profession Rathjen’s tenure in Tasmania between 2011 and 2018.

“This has taken a very long time,” said union Tasmanian secretary Dr Perpetua Turner, who called on UTAS to consult on how best to enact Ms Norton’s recommendations.

“What we would expect is that the survivors and their advocates are absolutely central to those developments,” Dr Turner said.

Mr Field said UTAS accepted all of Ms Norton’s recommendations, which he said would deliver better protection for staff, targeted training for leaders and new governance arrangements under which complaints could bypass senior management.

Ms Bye declined to say whether any currently serving university personnel were subjects of any of the complaints, again citing complainant confidentiality.

“We believe them (the complainants),” she said, thanking them for the “bravery” in coming forward as part of the review.

UTAS stressed none of the allegations had been put to those accused or tested via a formal investigation.

In September, The Australian revealed a female friend of Professor Rathjen was, during his tenure at UTAS, appointed to a top post at the university after serving on an earlier selection panel for the same job.