Sunday Times

3 March 1996


         Gale admits she 
         knew of sex case
         
         Report by JOE POPRZECZNY
         
         UNIVERSITY of WA Vice-Chancellor
         Professor Fay Gale admitted this week
         that she knew of a case involving archae-
         ology Professor Sandra Bowdler's sexual
         behavior.
         
         Through her deputy, Professor Alan Robson, she
         had vigorously denied there had been any formal
         complaints but documents tabled in Parliament
         contradicted that claim.
         
         Professor Robson independently said no formal
         complaint had been received, yet one document
         tabled in Parliament was a letter to Professor Gale
         complaining about Professor Bowdler's behavior at
         an archaeology field trip involving one of Professor
         Bowdler's student lovers.
         
         And this week a second letter of complaint to
         Professor Gale surfaced which highlighted
         Professor Bowdler's unorthodox behavior.
         
         With it, as with an earlier letter, was Professor
         Gale's signed acknowledgement of February 24,
         which said: "Thank you for your letter of February
         12, 1992. I appreciate your concern."
         
         On Monday Professor Gale released a statement
         announcing the convening of a senate inquiry into
         the scandal.
         
         In it she admitted knowing about Professor's
         Bowdler's sexual behavior.
         
         The statement was faxed from the chancellery to
         the offices of all teaching departments and
         secretaries were told to copy and distribute it to
         UWA academics.
         
         "The documentation available to me made
         reference to perceived inappropriate behavior by
         Professor Bowdler through the exercise of power
         and favors based on gender-driven allegiances,"
         Professor Gale wrote in the letter.
         
         "I was also made aware of one case where there
         had been expressions of concern by and on behalf
         of one student about the inappropriateness of
         Professor Bowdler's sexual behavior.
         
         "At no time, however, have I or the UWA's equity
         officer received formal complaints of sexual
         impropriety."
         
         Last week the Sunday Times published extracts
         from a student's letter to Professor Gale sent after
         the 1991 archaeology review about a field trip
         incident involving Professor Bowdler and a female
         student lover.
         
         The letter was among 329 documents tabled in
         Parliament by Labor MLC Mark Nevill, who wants
         the Upper House's standing committee on
         government agencies to investigate UWA's
         handling of the scandal.
         
         Professor Gale acknowledged receipt of the
         letter of complaint.
         
         "Thank you for your letter of 17 February, 1992. I
         appreciate your concern," she wrote.