Controversial University Lecturer Cleared After Attending Posie Parker Rally

The University of Melbourne has cleared controversial Associate Professor Holly Lawford-Smith, finding no misconduct after she attended an infamous Kellie-Jay Keen (Posie Parker) Rally in March.

Lawford-Smith was under internal investigation for speaking at the protest, with the university concluding that she had no case to answer for after two months of examination.

“A Personal Matter”

“The university confirmed a preliminary assessment of her conduct and found her decision to attend and speak at the rally had no relation to her work” wrote the University of Melbourne’s Director of Legal Services Mark Flaherty to Lawford-Smith’s representative, Ben Marshall, in a letter received by The Age.

“[It] is a personal matter for her.”

The university also looked over her tweets for a period surrounding the rally, finding that none constituted disciplinary action against her employment.

Beyond the investigation, the lecturer’s appearance at the rally also sparked significant pushback from trans, gender-non-conforming, and allied activists, who felt that her presence at the university was enabling the spread of hateful and exclusionary ideology by giving it a platform.

Lawford-Smith is a well-known proponent of ‘Gender Critical’ theory – the belief that ‘sex is binary, biological, and immutable’, that often runs counter to the existence of Transgender individuals.

Significant Student Pushback

Students and campaigners would work to inform others of Lawford-Smith’s beliefs and actions, spreading posters and stickers around the university campus. Many would point out the allocated class she is due to teach in an effort to alert students, while more would accuse her of being a “fascist” and a “bigot”.

If Holly Lawford-Smith didn’t want to be accused of being a fascist, maybe she shouldn’t have spoken at a rally attended by Nazis.

Or, to take things a step further, maybe she shouldn’t have subscribed to a hateful ideology supported by Nazis in the first place… pic.twitter.com/yETPnFUBrN

— Eleanor Evans (@EleanorEvenstar) April 20, 2023

In response, Lawford-Smith has since filed a WorkSafe complaint against the university, accusing them of failing to both provide a safe workplace and uphold her academic freedom.

“We will cooperate fully with any inquiries, as the University of Melbourne is committed to a safe, secure and respectful workplace for our staff and students,” a university spokesperson told The Age.

Following investigation and unrest, a newly free Lawford-Smith is free to teach at the university. With extra security and new posters emerging, tensions are sure to remain high in the upcoming weeks.