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Dr Mike Joy
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
However, the University seems not to have taken any disciplinary action against Joy.
In a post on LinkedIn yesterday, Joy says the comment was not aligned with his values or those of Victoria University of Wellington.
“I realise this was completely out of order and unnecessarily inflammatory: I unreservedly apologise to anyone offended,” he says.
In a separate statement to Rural News, Victoria University Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith also offered his apologies.
“We have a proud tradition of activism and lawful protest, and strive to offer an environment where all members of our community can explore new ideas, change their own minds, and seek to change others’ minds,” says Smith.
“A call for violence—whether intended or perceived—against any member of our broader community is fundamentally at odds with both our values as a University community and the standards we hold ourselves to when fulfilling our essential role as critic and conscience of society.
“Dr Mike Joy has unreservedly and publicly apologised for his recent LinkedIn post, which he acknowledges did not meet these standards. On behalf of the University as a whole, I also want to apologise to everyone affected by his comments.”
Smith says the University upholds the principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression, which are fundamental to the role of universities in New Zealand society.
“At the same time, we are committed to ensuring that debate is respectful, evidence-based, and offers the kind of humility that supports collective understanding.”
On a LinkedIn post a month ago, Joy commented on a story by Jude Daltry about the notorious Minnie Dean, who was hanged for killing babies in Southland.
He claimed the dairy industry is currently putting babies (and adults) at risk with nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater and asked, “How about we bring back hanging for industry CEOs”?
Federated Farmers is calling for the University to terminate Joy’s appointment and wrote to Smith earlier this week.
While Smith has responded to Federated Farmers, Karl Dean, Federated Farmers dairy chair, says Smith’s letter “lacks substance given the serious nature of the complaint”.
"For a senior academic at Victoria University of Wellington to publicly insinuate anyone in New Zealand should be hanged is totally unacceptable.
"It’s extremely disappointing - and frankly surprising - that the vice-chancellor hasn’t taken disciplinary action against Dr Joy.
"By failing to do so, his response is little more than a slap on the wrist with the wettest of bus tickets, and is a tacit endorsement of Dr Joy’s atrocious comments.
"Yesterday our main concern was Dr Joy’s deplorable comments, but now we’re even more concerned about the university’s decision not to take action.”
Dean is seeking a formal meeting with Smith top discuss the matter.
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