Adelaide University’s former vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen groped staff, ICAC finds
The Independent Commissioner Against Corruption has found UTAS and Adelaide University former vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen groped staff and treated them with “egregious disrespect”.
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FORMER Adelaide University and UTAS vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen hugged and kissed two employees in conduct that was “entirely inappropriate”, Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Bruce Lander has found.
Prof Rathjen also lied to then Chancellor Kevin Scarce to protect his position, Mr Lander said.
Mr Lander on Wednesday issued a public statement but honoured the requests of the two women involved in the case by not issuing the full report from his inquiry into maladministration at Adelaide University.
“The vice-chancellor engaged in conduct that was entirely inappropriate by treating the women with egregious disrespect,” Mr Lander said.
“It was all the worse having regard to his position within the university and the two women’s relative positions in the university.”
Mr Lander said the two women had suffered great embarrassment and humiliation.
“It may be because of the brevity of this statement compared with the report, that the seriousness of the conduct will not be understood,” he said.
“However, that is better than the victims suffering further hurt.
“ … I have rejected the vice-chancellor’s evidence in every respect where he sought to disagree with the account given by the two women or to minimise his conduct,” he said.
“I have found contrary to the evidence given by Prof Rathjen that his conduct was sexual in nature and advertised by him to the women as sexual.”
Mr Lander found Rear Admiral Scarce had been commissioned by the university to confront Prof Rathjen.
“The university also accepted that the conduct was ‘repugnant to the university’s values of
honesty, respect and fairness as those terms are defined in the university’s code of conduct’,” he said.
The university had engaged a solicitor in private practice who advised that the Chancellor should handle the matter rather than the university’s governing body, the Council.
That led to the Chancellor issuing a formal warning to Prof Rathjen.
Mr Lander said the Council should have been involved and that Prof Rathjen’s behaviour was a breach of university policy and “amounted to serious misconduct” under the ICAC Act.
Given Rear Admiral Scarce was acting on legal advice and in accord with the women’s wish for anonymity, Mr Lander did not embrace criticism of Rear Admiral Scarce’s course of action.
Prof Rathjen said in a statement he had “deeply” regretted the distress and embarrassment he caused to the two women and apologised to both.
However, he added that the matter had been dealt with internally by the university and there had been no need for the ICAC inquiry.
Mr Rathjen first took leave in May and then resigned from his post on July 20.
Mr Lander announced he was holding an inquiry on May 7.
He said while it was not his normal practice, he acted because there was intense speculation about the university which “will continue and potentially lead to an unnecessary negative impact on the university’s operations”.
He stressed he was not investigating allegations corruption. His investigation was into potential issues of serious or systemic misconduct and maladministration.
Mr Lander is due to retire from the post at the end of the month, with former Supreme Court Justice Ann Vanstone appointed to replace him.
Prof Rathjen, who was appointed vice-chancellor in January 2018, pushed a strategic direction for the university to be focused internationally.
He travelled to promote the strategy, including attending university events in Shanghai and then Hong Kong in March 2019.
The university is now being run by Prof Mike Brooks, who has said the university faces a major financial shortfall of $250 million over two years because of coronavirus restrictions affecting international students. Staff have since voted to accept a temporary pay cut to save jobs.
The university does not publish remuneration of individual staff. However, its 2019 annual report listed one member of the senior executive earning over $1 million.
Rear Admiral Scarce brought forward his retirement to May 4.
The university appointed former Federal Court judge Catherine Branson as its new chancellor.
Originally published as Adelaide University’s former vice-chancellor Peter Rathjen groped staff, ICAC finds
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