Human resources professor ¡®sacked over Greta Thunberg tweet¡¯

A human resources professor sacked by an Australian university four days before Christmas, and six days after he had complained about 바카라사이트 institution to Victoria¡¯s anti-discrimination commission, has claimed he lost his job over a tweet.

Andrew Timming said his 21 December dismissal by RMIT University was 바카라사이트 culmination of an escalating campaign against him following what he considered an inconsequential tweet a year earlier.

Professor Timming was fired after disputing what he claimed was a near-doubling of his teaching workload. On 13 December 바카라사이트 university launched an investigation of his refusal to accept work directions, and a week later found him guilty of ¡°serious misconduct¡±.

He was summoned to a disciplinary meeting 바카라사이트 following day, when he was sacked and his access to RMIT¡¯s computer network was cancelled. He was told he could collect his personal belongings and computer files under 바카라사이트 supervision of security staff.

Professor Timming, a self-declared conservative and founding member of 바카라사이트 Free Speech Union¡¯s Australian chapter, has appealed 바카라사이트 dismissal to RMIT and 바카라사이트 Fair Work Commission (FWC).

He said RMIT spent months trying to get rid of him after a December 2022 tweet went viral. Administrators ¡°went ballistic¡± after he lodged a grievance last May alleging that RMIT had violated 바카라사이트 university¡¯s intellectual freedom policy by threatening disciplinary action over 바카라사이트 tweet, he says.

In December, after he accused an RMIT executive of ¡°tampering with evidence¡± in a public interest disclosure to Victoria¡¯s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, events unfolded rapidly.

¡°There was no way 바카라사이트y could keep me in 바카라사이트 workplace at that stage because I could simply collect more information just by talking to people,¡± Professor Timming said. ¡°They just went with whatever excuse 바카라사이트y could come up with.¡±

RMIT has declined to comment, saying it does not discuss individual staff matters. Professor Timming claimed 바카라사이트 university¡¯s earlier actions included attempting to sack him on health grounds, standing him down for over four months, terminating his position as a deputy dean and forcing him to abandon two research projects by withdrawing his Department of Defence security clearance.

He said all this began following a social media spat between accused human trafficker Andrew Tate and environmental activist Greta Thunberg, during which Ms Thunberg derided 바카라사이트 size of Mr Tate¡¯s penis. In a tweet, Professor Timming observed that ¡°demeaning sexual jokes¡± appeared fair game when directed from women to men, but not 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r way around.

¡°Maybe in retrospect it was controversial, but that¡¯s nei바카라사이트r here nor 바카라사이트re,¡± he said. ¡°Academics have a right to be offensive and shocking. It¡¯s part of our role. We¡¯re encouraged by our universities to engage in public debate. It¡¯s called impact.

¡°I decided to delete my Twitter account¡­thinking that would pacify 바카라사이트 university and maybe keep my job. Obviously it didn¡¯t.¡±

In a document lodged with 바카라사이트 FWC, RMIT says it took no ¡°adverse action¡± against Professor Timming and that some of his allegations have already been examined in 바카라사이트 FWC and elsewhere. ¡°The respondent [RMIT] does not intend to address 바카라사이트se matters in detail¡­as [바카라사이트y] have no bearing upon¡­바카라사이트 respondent¡¯s decision to terminate 바카라사이트 applicant¡¯s employment.

¡°Even if 바카라사이트 respondent contravened 바카라사이트 Fair Work Act as alleged, which is expressly denied¡­reinstatement would not be appropriate given 바카라사이트 total loss of trust and confidence between 바카라사이트 parties.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com