CONTENT WARNING: This article discusses racism.
A University of Melbourne law professor, Dr Eric Descheemaeker, has launched legal action against the university, claiming discrimination after a controversial email about “Blak” activists was leaked and shared across campus.
The story was first reported by The Guardian, which outlined the fallout from an internal message Descheemaeker sent last year.
According to court documents cited by The Guardian, the legal saga began after an email Descheemaeker sent to then-law school dean, Professor Matthew Harding, in August 2023 surfaced on the university’s Parkville campus.
In that email — which became public after someone posted printouts around noticeboards — Descheemaeker wrote, “there [is] absolutely no end to where ‘Blak’ activists are meaning to take us – except destruction”.
He also criticised Acknowledgement of Country practices and questioned the teaching of Indigenous law, writing: “Their (non-existing) claims to land are now ‘acknowledged’ about every 10 feet in our corridors. They want me to teach that Australian law is only ‘settler law’ and that there exists a rich body of ‘indigenous law’ alongside (what are indigenous private-law remedies, I wonder. Ritual spearings?).”
Descheemaeker went on to describe the law school as an “ideological re-education camp” with “incredibly parochial concerns”. These remarks, first made public by The Age in June, have sparked significant debate within the university about academic freedom and cultural safety.
The incident came shortly after Dr Eddie Cubillo, a Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man and former NT discrimination commissioner, resigned from his role at Melbourne Law School (MLS). As reported by The Guardian, Dr Cubillo described MLS as the “most culturally unsafe place I’ve worked”.
Dr Descheemaeker is now suing the university under section 351 of the Fair Work Act, alleging discrimination forbidden on grounds like race or sex. For now, the university has agreed not to fire him or take any other action until a court hearing in September, as noted by Federal Court Judge Val Gostencnik.
In response to the leak, current law school dean Professor Michelle Foster told The Age the university was investigating how the correspondence ended up on public noticeboards. In an email to staff, Foster said: “I acknowledge that staff and students who read the notices may have been offended or upset by its contents,” and reaffirmed the university’s commitment to “a place where all people are valued and respected,” as reported by Guardian Australia.
At this stage, there’s no comment from Dr Descheemaeker beyond what’s been shared by his lawyer to media outlets, and no official word from the university on possible disciplinary action.
The next hearing is set for September, and this case is likely to keep conversations going about how Australian universities balance cultural safety, free speech and workplace rights.
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