By Stephanie Ockhuysen of RNZ
A Victoria University of Wellington academic has apologised after making public comments suggesting dairy industry leaders should be hanged.
Dr Mike Joy, a senior research fellow at the university and a freshwater advocate, took to LinkedIn last month to suggest the dairy industry was putting babies and adults at risk with nitrate contamination of drinking and groundwater.
The post referred to an article about Minnie Dean, who was hanged for killing a child in 1895.
He then said, “How about we bring back hanging for industry CEOs?”
Federated Farmers dairy chairman Karl Dean said the comments were extreme, violent and dangerous, and he had written to the university about them.
“It’s very offensive and crude in this day and age, especially from any academic, to be making those sort of comments.
“We’ve heard back that [the university] is just doing some internal processes and they hope to get back to us later.
“I’m not pre-empting what should happen, but I do think that there needs to be a level of accountability when statements like that are made, especially [by] people of high stature and privilege.
“I mean, when you’ve got such a record and an accolade, making comments like that on social media is just unfounded, it’s just bizarre.”
Yesterday, Joy told Stuff the comments were tongue-in-cheek and he did not believe he had gone too far. He was comfortable with the way he had phrased the remark.
However, by this morning, he had apologised on LinkedIn.
He said his comments were inappropriate and did not align with his views or those of the university, and he realised they were out of order.
He apologised to anyone offended.
Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith said the university had a proud tradition of activism, lawful protest and freedom of expression. However, violent comments, intended or not, were against its values.
Smith also apologised to everyone affected.
- RNZ