The University of Melbourne has taken steps to provide support and counseling to both staff and students following the circulation of a racially charged email written by an academic at the institution.
According to university officials, the email penned by law school academic Eric Descheemaeker in 2023 was leaked and shared across the Parkville campus, potentially causing distress or offense to those who came across it.
Descheemaeker's email, sent to then law school dean Matthew Harding in August 2023, was in response to news of an Indigenous cultural safety review, which he criticized as 'an ideological re-education camp'.
In his email, Descheemaeker expressed his views on the celebration of the 'noble savage' at Melbourne Law School, suggesting that the institution seemed primarily focused on this concept with minimal attention given to other minority groups seeking recognition.
Source: The Age
