A professor at the University of Melbourne has settled his discrimination case against the institution after it attempted to dismiss him over a leaked email in which he claimed "Blak" activists were leading the law school to "destruction".
Dr Eric Descheemaeker sued the university after it tried to sack him in July, alleging the move was based on his political opinion. The email, sent in 2023 to the then-dean of Melbourne Law School, reportedly described the faculty as an "ideological re-education camp" and criticised a cultural safety review.
The case was listed for trial next month, but sources confirmed a settlement, with an announcement expected in the coming weeks. Court records show the proceedings were dismissed with the consent of both parties in November. A university spokesperson confirmed the dismissal but declined further comment.
In a September hearing, Descheemaeker's barrister argued the email constituted political opinion, protected by academic freedom, and used "colourful language" against identity politics. The university's counsel, however, said there was no prima facie case and described the claim as "hopeless".
The university commissioned the cultural safety review in the same year that Dr Eddie Cubillo resigned from his associate dean and senior fellow roles following public complaints about institutional racism.
