The University of Sydney is currently undertaking an investigation on its sociology Professor Sujatha Fernandes for breach of code of conduct. After her 鈥淲eek 9 鈥 Power 1鈥 lecture in April, some students in her class leaked her slides to The Australian.
The Australian then published an article on May 30, revealing that multiple Jewish groups have called on the university to open an investigation.
The following slide was singled out as the source of complaints.
Honi understands that Fernandes鈥 full lecture presentation referenced the Palestine genocide as a case study on power.
She explored the use of passive language by Western media to absolve Israel of guilt and the media鈥檚 role in what French philosopher Louis Althusser referred to as the 鈥渋deological state apparatus鈥.
The Australian also includes a two-minute clip from the lecture recording where Fernandes discusses the New York Times article published on December 28, 2023, entitled 鈥淪creams Without Words: How Hamas Weaponised Sexual Violence on Oct. 7.鈥澛
Fernandes can be heard on the recording discussing the article.
鈥淭he witnesses, they supposedly had said that 鈥 it never happened to them. The sources were retracted, all kinds of things to prove that this story 鈥 it was not a real story, that a lot of what was in this article, was not true. And yet they haven鈥檛 retracted the article,鈥 she says.聽聽
The Australian said that it alerted the university after obtaining access to Fernandes鈥 lecture materials and recording.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), also wrote to the university demanding an investigation.
A spokesperson told Honi Soit that 鈥渁 preliminary investigation鈥 has begun and the university is 鈥渓ooking into this matter as a priority鈥.
The spokesperson maintained the university鈥檚 commitment to 鈥渁cademic freedom and freedom of speech鈥 and as a 鈥渇orum for debate and discussion鈥.
鈥淎cademic staff giving lectures must exercise their intellectual freedom according to the highest ethical, professional, and legal standards. We are fortunate to have some of the world鈥檚 best academics and we expect all of them to apply a best teaching practice approach incorporating evidence and analysis鈥, the spokesperson said.
They also said that 鈥渨hen breaches against University policy have occurred鈥, the University has 鈥渁cted and taken disciplinary action鈥.
It was not specified if Fernandes鈥 lecture materials or remarks had breached the academic code of conduct.聽
President of the University of Sydney National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) branch Nick Riemer told Honi: 鈥淣TEU members will not tolerate intimidation or censorship of Palestine solidarity, whether for students or staff. Zionists clearly think that the university鈥檚 internal processes are there to be weaponised for their own political purposes. Management must show that this is not the case.鈥
[This article has been reprinted from , where it was first published on June 1.]