00:00Marco Casarotto spent 25 years at the ANU. What he witnessed at the John Curtin School
00:09of Medical Research rocked him.
00:11You've got this culture of fear, intimidation, really disrespectful behaviour, things that
00:16some academics put down to, you know, robust discussion, academic freedom, you know, things
00:22like that, but it just went beyond that.
00:25The associate professor was responsible for about 100 PhD students.
00:30There was one instance where a whole department, students got together and basically outlined
00:35that we have a toxic culture and basically it was swept under the carpet.
00:40He's one of 150 staff members and students who participated in a scathing independent
00:46review into culture at the medical college. It revealed bullying, harassment, sexism, racial
00:53discrimination and nepotism had gone unchecked.
00:57Alongside the review, the University has also received a confidential report detailing what
01:03the Vice-Chancellor has called wildly inappropriate allegations against specific staff. An external
01:09investigator will be appointed to interrogate those claims.
01:13I can't pre-judge what the allegations would be but the reality is when we have had serious
01:18misconduct we will manage it within the parameters that we have and if that involves firing people
01:23we will fire people.
01:24You basically can't sort of turn the ship around while having those same people, you know,
01:29as captains.
01:30The report revealed the issues have been festering for many years. Tough reading for the former
01:35Vice-Chancellor.
01:36And I did absolutely everything within my ability but I still acknowledge that people
01:43missed out and had bad things done to them and I have to take responsibility for that because
01:48it's under my watch. And so I do apologise to anyone who's affected.
01:53The report made 17 recommendations which the University says it will enact over time.
01:59We haven't lived up to the expectations anyone should have of the place they work or the place
02:03we study. But I'm also committed, Ross, that we will work on being different.
02:08Students and staff are counting on it.
Comments