The Sunday Times [Perth]
    12 May 1996

by Joe Poprzeczny

UWA IN WEB SITE ATTACK


The University of WA has begun legal action against an
Internet Web stie produced by an academic at the
prestigious University of Buffalo in New York State.

News of the move surfaced this week when a University of
Woolongong academic and hed of Whistleblowers Australia, Dr
Brian Martin, alterted Australia's 50,000 academics to the
sites's existance. 

He wrote a letter to The Australian newspapers Higher
Education Supplement slamming the Australian
Vice-Chancellor's Committee which last most backed UWA
Vice-Chancellor Fay Gale's criticism of the decision by the
WA Parliament to form a select committee.

The committee is investigating managment of UWA and
circumstances surrounding Professor Gale's refusal of
tenure to archaeologist Dr David Rindos. 

Dr Martin, whose academic speciality is supression of
academic freedom, wrote that now a Web page had been set up
about the Rindos case, readers could judge the issue for
themselves without relying on the AVCC.

Dr Martin wrote: "In the numerous cases of whistleblowing 
and suppression of dissent that I have studied over the 
years, internal procedures seldom have delivered justice. 

"Universities are little different from other organisations 
in this regard. 

"In many cases when an academic exposes some problem such as 
favouritism, plagiarism or sexual abuse, senior academics and 
administrators close ranks to squelch open discussion of the 
issues."

Sources said UWA's lawyers also had warned the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation about publicising the Web site. 

Within hours of The Australian hitting the streets,
in-house UWA lawyer Linda Key came down hard on Dr Martin
in an electronic message.  

She said: "In the letter you have given the web address of 
a site dealing with the Rindos case.  

"The site contains material which is defamatory of the 
Vice-Chancellor of this University and several of its 
academic and administrative staff. 

"The University has taken steps against the administrators 
of the site."

The site is administered by University of Buffallo
archaeologist Hugh Jarvis, who first posted an
international message on Dr Rindos's' controversial removal
by Professor Gale in June 1993.