During a Senate inquiry into university governance on Tuesday, Dr Liz Allen, an academic at the ANU and the former staff-elected member of the ANU council, accused Chancellor Julie Bishop of bullying, harassment and mistreatment following allegations that she and ANUSA president Will Burfoot had leaked confidential council information to the media. 

Dr Allen refutes these allegations, stating, “At no time have I leaked confidential council business.”

Dr Allen said that following this meeting, Bishop pulled her and another colleague into a separate room and “berated” her, further accusing her of leaks. She states that Bishop “laughed incredulously at my emotional response and at one point blocked me leaving the room”.

In the next few weeks, Allen claims that she was sent a threatening letter from a legal office, excluded from activities she would usually participate in, and had a publication of hers delayed by ANU officers. She stated that she had received numerous emails from the Vice-Chancellor’s head of public affairs and the senior advisor stating that they were monitoring her online presence and public comments.

Dr Allen says that the leaking accusations and the harassment she alleges have had a significant impact on her mental wellbeing, stating that she had decided to commit suicide following the initial meeting and suffered a miscarriage two weeks later.

“It affected me so deeply that on the drive home, I decided to kill myself. I pulled over to write my final goodbyes to my partner and my children.”

Appearing at a Senate hearing inquiring into higher-education governance and financial accountability, Dr Allen states that she had experienced “threats, intimidation and bullying, because I sought greater probity of council conduct.”

ANU’s chief operating officer, Jonathan Churchill, later addressed Dr Allen’s statement at the Senate hearing, claiming that “a number of the statements don’t appear to be correct”, that they plan to “examine all of the statements made and will respond with particularity”, and noted that there was an ongoing complaint process pertaining to her allegations.

Chancellor Bishop did not attend the hearing, but released a statement stating that she rejects “any suggestion that [she] engaged with Council members, staff, students and observers in any way other than with respect, courtesy and civility.”

Woroni will keep you updated as the situation unfolds.