Siouxsie Wiles gets a pittance and Byron doesn’t get protection – all public academics and researchers will suffer
Ugh…
Siouxsie Wiles: Auckland University ordered to pay $20,000 in Employment Court decision
The University of Auckland has been ordered to pay prominent microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles $20,000 in damages after a bruising Employment Court case over vile abuse she received during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision – which related to a “tsunami of threats and harassment” she received over her high-profile role during the pandemic – found the university did not breach Wiles’ academic freedom, but did breach her employment agreement.
The judgment, released on Monday, said the university was to pay the $20,000 to Wiles within 28 days.
Wiles filed complaints against the university in 2021, arguing her employer hadn’t taken enough steps to protect her against “a small but venomous sector of the public” that had become increasingly “unhinged”.
Wiles was the victim of “doxxing” – the act of publishing revealing personal details online. She learned from a journalist in January 2021 that her telephone number, personal email address, home address and an image of her home had been posted on a website that was opposed to the Government’s approach to dealing with the pandemic.
…double ugh…
Researcher’s safety concerns escalate as restraining order against far right activist denied
A Christchurch researcher fears for his safety more than ever after his request for a restraining order against a white supremacist was dismissed on a “technicality”.
He also worries the court decision will embolden people to intimidate people online without fear of legal consequences.
Byron Clark, whose work on far-right and conspiracy communities has previously resulted in charges against a far right activist for harassment, says Philip Arps has been harassing and intimidating him for two years.
The behaviour mostly involved derogatory comments on social media, but went as far to suggest a desire to see Clark harmed and publicly executed.
Clark’s application for a restraining order against Arps was heard in the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday, but cut short when Arps’ defence team requested the case be dismissed.
…I was appalled by the level of hatred spat at Dr Siouxsie Wiles, she gave the public the essential facts during the pandemic and was not protected by her University against the spastic rage that erupted at her.
As a public academic, Dr Siouxsie Wiles was necessary in saving us and because we are going to have the same situation when public academics have to step up again thanks to loneliness and social media hate algorithms.
$20 000 seems like a pittance for the hell Dr Siouxsie Wiles went through. Likewise the appalling decision to not give Byron Clark relief from hate monger Philip Arps is extraordinary!
Arps is as close to an actual fascist as we get in NZ and his threats and his bullshit against Byron shouldn’t be allowed to stand.
All Public Academics and Researchers will be less protected and less secure because of these decisions at a time when we need them more now than ever before.
$20000 is a pittance, and would be unlikely to cover the legal costs incurred. Keep up the good work Siouxsie.
I’m not sure how the university was supposed to protect Ms. Wiles from someone looking up her home address on the electoral roll at the local library and searching for a picture of it on Google maps.
In a so-called free society, both of these people just have to accept that they will receive abuse online from people who disagree with them, sometimes very vigorously. What’s the saying about heat and kitchens?
If you think that fear of any consequences is a reasonable way to control people from acting in the public interest then you have a very sick mind. When people attack others while hiding their identity that is generally a sign that it is personal rather than evidence based so just another variation of a Lynch mob and for you to support that sort of behaviour is wrong.
Getting abuse online is somewhat different from getting death threats and then having your address/details published so random crazies can find you if the feel so inclined.
Essential lies more like
Siouxsie, who I think is wonderful, got hated on not only for her comments but also because of the colour of her hair which seems to rile silly dumb old men who can’t handle women who are intelligent and who can speak for themselves, AND who dye their hair. It makes you wonder what sort of relationship they have with their wives and daughters. MB, you are so right when you say she was not protected by the university and to that extent, it did breach her academic freedom.
Arps is a despicable hateful creep who, unfortunately, attracts like-minded individuals who also probably hate Siouxsie for her pink hair. To deny Byron a restraining order against Arps is disgraceful but I am not surprised because a decision like that seems to lie alongside the decision that the Auckland University did not breach Siouxsie’s academic freedom, i.e., people, like the fools who hated on Siouxsie and Arps are allowed to spew out their hateful comments about and to others and those others cannot be protected or receive protection.
Wiles is a cry bully who cancelled scientists concerned at the dilution of hard science with pseudo religious matauranga Maori.
Abuse is unwarranted but the woman is awful and has only added to the anti science brigade by politicizing the science messaging during the pandemic.
I hope those remaining of the listener 7 sue her for the abuse they got and careers destroyed.
Haha Keepcalmcarryon, threatened by an intellectual woman, so he does what he does best, cancels her.
Most of the comments here indicate how unfitted you and indeed many people are to have rights to decide matters of behaviour and protocol or anything for the mass of the public; and show a reason for changing our democratic voting system to ensure that nitwits are kept to the sidelines. Can you restrain yourselves from giving me a put-down too?
Arps is a goon, but Byron was just freelancing on the the govt’s “stuff we don’t like =conspiracy” witch hunt & gravy train. Anyone supping from the Ministry of Truth is inevitably going to get scared by the anry response to their myopic fearmongering and propaganda.
Wiles and Hendy lead the lynch mob going after the Listener Seven. And now Karma has bitten her. Hypociritical creature deserves all she gets.