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• - An internal survey at Auckland University of Technology revealed concerns about work culture
• - Twenty of 26 law staff participated, reporting low favourable ratings compared with the faculty average
• - Survey results indicated 20% experienced discrimination and 35% faced bullying recently

An internal survey at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT) law school has revealed issues with its work culture, with one staffer saying they believed there would be “serious consequences” for speaking up against senior leadership.

And one senior professor has clapped back at staff for leaking results of the survey after no action was allegedly taken to address the unsatisfactory results, saying they should leave if they are unhappy.

A spokesperson from AUT said they did not wish to comment on the emails but were concerned about the results of the survey.

Twenty of the 26 law staff responded to AUT’s “Your Voice” survey for 2024, which found the law school had “lower favourable ratings than the faculty average across most factors”, as described by the business, economics and law faculty.

Results of the recent survey leaked to the Herald showed;

• - 20% have personally experienced discrimination at work in the past six months
• - 35% have personally experienced bullying or harassment at work in the past six months
• - 30% feel comfortable reporting inappropriate behaviour
• - 5% believe AUT would intervene if someone was not delivering in their role

In a series of emails between law staff following the results, acting dean Mike French said he was not sure there was much to be gained by the school discussing the staff responses and was “not very clear” on how best to address or deal with reports of bullying.

The Auckland University of Technology (AUT) city campus in Auckland's CBD. Photo / Michael Craig

In response, results of the survey were leaked by staff.

After learning the results of the survey had been leaked, AUT professor of law Paul Myburgh sent an email to all law school staff with the subject line, “the coward who did this should be utterly ashamed of themselves”.

“Civilised human beings wash their dirty linen indoors. If you’re that unhappy, please do us all a favour and leave. We’ll hold the door open for you so that it doesn’t hit your arse on the way out,” the email read.

When Myburgh’s email was also leaked and he received an email from a member of the public saying he was “famous for all the wrong reasons”, Myburgh sent another email to staff, saying they were “Pathetic. Puerile. Pusillanimous”.

An email sent to AUT law school staff by senior professor Paul Myburgh after results of the internal faculty survey were leaked. Photo / Free Speech Union

“Apart from anything else, if you really think AUT IT can’t trace who is leaking our internal email correspondence, you’re far stupider than you are immoral,” a final email from Myburgh read.

When approached by the Herald, Myburgh said he would “always” stand by his comments.

“I know exactly who leaked this private information in breach of the Privacy Act and their employment contract, and I have utterly no time or sympathy for people who foul their own nests in bad faith simply because they are disaffected, unprofessional, and their own petty ambitions have not come to fruition.”

He said this was “not a case bullying” but instead a case of a “bad faith actor” with a “personal vendetta”.

“Shame on you,” Myburgh said.

A spokesperson from AUT said they were “concerned about the results of the survey”.

“Our focus now is on working with the school to understand what can be done to improve their experience at work.”

Staff member believes survey shows some colleagues ‘genuinely unhappy’

One staffer wrote in an internal email: “I can appreciate there are likely flaws in the survey, however, the answers to those questions that are specifically relevant to the law school do consistently reveal that some colleagues are genuinely unhappy at work.

“I do not think that the appropriate response is to simply dismiss or divert from the concerns raised.”

The staffer claimed similar issues arose four years ago but nothing was done.

Free Speech Union chief executive Jonathan Ayling said, in his view, the results of the survey, and response to the leak, “point to a serious problem”.

“Discrimination and bullying are compounded if staff aren’t free to speak out on the issue. [In my view] Professor Myburgh’s response simply confirms what is indicated in the survey results.”

Ayling had contacted AUT vice-chancellor Damon Salesa and Tertiary Education Minister Penny Simmonds, challenging them to “take action”.

He said he believed this “is not a one-off issue – there are structural issues at play that are leading academics to self-censor, undermining the role of the university”.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.