A University of Sydney professor involved in the national school curriculum review has overnight become the subject of intense national scrutiny after the publication of private emails sent to his friends and colleagues have revealed him to be an honorary bigot with first class dishonour whose flair for language in his smarmy and boring as fuck poetry lectures is matched only by his capacity for vile discrimination.
In two years worth of correspondence unearthed last night by New Matilda, School of Letters, Arts and Media faculty member and supposedly Australia’s preeminent poetry professor, Barry Spurr, traverses an entirely abhorrent spectrum of subjugation, beginning with “bogans”, “Mussies”, “Chinky-poos” before taking square and repeated aim at Australia’s Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander populations. The latter two are described by Spurr as “human rubbish tips” and “Abos” throughout his repeated attempts to have their presence in the national curriculum minimised to place greater emphasis on Judeo-Christian culture.
Spurr also referred to women as “whores”, Tony Abbott as an “abo lover”, and Nelson Mandela as a “darkie”. “Abo Lover Abbott and [Australian of the Year] Adam Goodes are Siamese Twins and will have to be surgically separated,” he writes in one email.
Speaking with New Matilda, Spurr defended himself with a sodden piece of cardboard, saying his emails were a “whimsical linguistic game” of “extreme statements”.
“The comments that you refer to are largely to one recipient with whom I have had a whimsical linguistic game for many years of trying to outdo one another in extreme statements,” he said. “These statements are not reflections of my views or his.”
“What I say about the place of the study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language and literature in the curriculum is my considered professional view and not in any way influenced by these email exchanges which are linguistic play, and the numerous students of different races and of colour with whom I have worked for many years will testify that I have treated them with the same equity and dignity that I treat all my students,” he continued. “I find it astonishing that you would think that I would seriously hold those views and not realise, as a journalist, that these are emails of mock-shockng (sic) repartee, mocking, in fact, that very kind of extreme language.”
A University of Sydney spokesman said: “The Code of Conduct requires members of staff to act fairly and reasonably, and treat (people) with respect, impartiality, courtesy and sensitivity.”
Clearly, there has been a pretty significant breach.
Furthermore, Spurr was selected as one of fifteen academics brought in to review the national curriculum implemented by the Labor Government in 2011, the results of which were published on Friday. Today, unsurprisingly, the Government and the office of Christopher Pyne are going to great lengths to distance themselves from their appoint of Spurr, because it’s always a great idea to put as wide a berth as possible between you and the festering blight on progress that are Spurr’s remarks.
UPDATE: The University of Sydney has this afternoon suspended Professor Barry Spurr, releasing a statement that reads as follows:
“The University of Sydney has suspended Professor Barry Spurr’s employment following serious allegations in relation to offensive emails sent from a University account.Professor Spurr is suspended, effective immediately, from teaching and engaging in any other University business and is precluded from attending any University campus, while the matter is investigated and dealt with in accordance with the terms of the University’s Enterprise Agreement.Racist, sexist or offensive language is not tolerated at the University of Sydney. The expectations for our staff and affiliates in respect of their professional and personal conduct are clearly set out in the University’s Code of Conduct.”
