Buchanan to appeal ruling on reinstatement

Buchanan to appeal ruling on reinstatement

The Association of University Staff (AUS) has confirmed that an appeal will be filed in the Employment Court on behalf of Dr Paul Buchanan, claming that he should be reinstated to his position as a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland.

The Employment Relations Authority recently ruled that Dr Buchanan had been unjustifiably dismissed from his employment at the University, but it declined to reinstate him. Dr Buchanan was awarded more than $65,000 in lost wages and compensation.

The university summarily sacked Dr Buchanan in July last year on the grounds of serious misconduct after sending what was described in the media as an angry email to a student, a United Arab Emirates national. In the email, which was widely reprinted, Dr Buchanan spoke bluntly of the student’s very weak academic performance and lack of aptitude for graduate study and said that he did not believe her excuse for not delivering her final assignment on the due date.

AUS deputy secretary Marty Braithwaite said that reinstatement was the primary remedy where dismissal was found to be unjustified and this was an important issue for Dr Buchanan, particularly given that the effect of the loss of his job effectively ended his academic career in New Zealand.

It is not known at this stage when an appeal will be heard.

ENDS

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