ANU Leadership Apologizes for Student Safety Failures Amid Campus Tensions

The interim head of the Australian National University (ANU) has apologised for the institution's failure to maintain the psychological safety of Jewish staff and students during pro-Palestinian campus encampments.

Interim Vice-Chancellor Rebekah Brown offered the apology during cross-examination at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. Asked by Gabi Crafti SC, the counsel for the Australasian Union of Jewish Students, if she wished to speak on behalf of the university, Professor Brown expressed regret over the experiences of Jewish members of the campus community.

"I would say that all Jewish students and staff and their colleagues and friends … have an absolute right to feel safe, respected and heard on our campus," Professor Brown said.

"I'm sorry that they didn't and I've committed in my role, as long as I am the interim vice-chancellor, to do better."

Professor Brown, who was the university's provost during the encampments that ran from April to August 2024, stepped into the interim leadership role late last year. The pro-Palestine encampment at the university lasted for 110 days before disbanding.

High Risk of Psychosocial Harm

The Royal Commission heard evidence this week that the campus encampments caused significant distress to Jewish students and staff due to anti-Israel and anti-Zionist chanting. On Monday, a student named Liat told the inquiry she had been called a "baby killer" and a "genocide supporter" on campus.

Ms Crafti highlighted an internal risk assessment commissioned by ANU in July 2024, near the end of the encampment period, which identified a "high risk of psychosocial harm" linked to the protests.

In response, Professor Brown noted that the university has implemented new policies to address psychosocial risks and combat antisemitism. "Not everyone has been subject to our training as yet … there is still more work to be done, but it has started," she testified.

Inquiry Hears of Demands for Death Certificates

The commission also heard testimony regarding an incident where a student seeking an exam extension after relatives were killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza was asked by a supervisor to produce their death certificates as proof of grief.

ANU's acting provost, Joan Leach, testified that she was not previously aware of the incident, which was raised during cross-examination by Yasser Bakri, a lawyer for the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network. While visibly perplexed, Professor Leach agreed that the supervisor's response was inappropriate and demonstrated a lack of empathy.

Professor Leach was also questioned regarding claims made by Liat about offensive gestures at a 2024 student association annual general meeting conducted via Zoom. Liat alleged that one student made a "Nazi moustache" gesture while another performed a Nazi salute.

Addressing the first allegation, Professor Leach explained that an investigation revealed the student was actually covering a cleft palate scar they felt uncomfortable with, describing it as a habitual gesture made "in multiple contexts." No misconduct was found, and the inquiry heard the investigation had caused the student anxiety.

Regarding the second allegation, Professor Leach stated it was "virtually impossible to tell if it was a Nazi salute" and that other students present did not believe it was. "There was good reason to believe that doing such a salute would be pretty antithetical to that particular student's identity and so there was no finding of misconduct in that case," she said.

Campus Code of Conduct Under Review

The pro-Palestinian encampment at ANU, which lasted over 100 days, was the longest-running of its kind across Australian universities. Commenting on the verbal abuse reported by Jewish students, Professor Leach agreed that terms like "baby killer" were antisemitic.

"Students should be able to walk through campus without what I would refer to as harassment," Professor Leach stated. "It was asking her as a member of the Jewish community to take responsibility for something very many miles away and shouted at her."

The university has since updated its code of conduct, introducing mandatory training modules for staff on workplace rights and respect, which include definitions of antisemitism. "Students in the residences now have mandatory training … including 'bystander training' … which includes microaggressions," Professor Leach added.

Monash Vice-Chancellor Advocates for 'Disagreeing Well'

The inquiry also heard from Monash University Vice-Chancellor Sharon Pickering, who detailed her institution's communication with both Jewish and Muslim students during an encampment at its Clayton campus from April to May 2024.

Professor Pickering identified a "turning point" on May 4 when protest organisers posted on Instagram stating that "Zionists were not welcome on campus." The university successfully requested that parent company Meta remove the post, and Professor Pickering subsequently warned students that Monash would not tolerate "thinly disguised antisemitism."

The university also launched investigations into chants featuring the phrases "intifada" or "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free."

"There had been increasing what I'd call atmospherics of hostility on campus, and we needed to calm things down," Professor Pickering told the commission. She noted that while Jewish students and staff reported facing abuse, "We also had Muslim and particularly Palestinian students who were carrying enormous trauma and pain."

Looking forward, Professor Pickering emphasised the need for cultural development around "disagreeing well" within academic spaces. "How do we have that contest of ideas and make sure that everyone feels that they're in the contest," she asked. "Are we willing to see that human in front of us?"

She also expressed concern for former student Paris Enten, who previously testified about the negative impact of campus antisemitism on her mental health.

The Royal Commission is scheduled to continue hearings tomorrow, with representatives from Monash University, the Department of Education, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, and Alan Finkel, chair of the Group of 8 Expert Advisory Committee on Combating Antisemitism, expected to appear.