Three days after news broke that the Vice Chancellor of the University of New England, Professor Brigid Heywood, had been charged with common assault and behaving in an offensive manner in a public place or near a school, there has been no comment from the University.
NSW NTEU Division Secretary, Dr Damien Cahill, said:
“We were shocked by the charges; we are as astounded by the Vice Chancellor’s and Council’s silence.
It seems the Chancellor, James Harris, and the University Council, intend to stick their heads in the sand and hope UNE staff and students, and the New England community, lose interest. Such an approach is not in the best interests of the University.”
Dr Cahill added:
“Today, our UNE branch has written to Councillors to request that they, individually and collectively, take the only appropriate and responsible course and stand down Professor Heywood with immediate effect pending the outcome of matters before the courts (see letter below).
It is time for the Chancellor and Council to perform the functions entrusted to them and to act in the best interests of the University as a whole.”
