Former Judge Assigned by University to Investigate Controversial ‘Racism Symposium’ Targeting Conservative Jews
An independent investigation will be conducted into a university anti-racism event that faced criticism for being anti-Semitic. The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) symposium, organized by QUT’s Indigenous research group Carumba, saw conservative-leaning Jews mocked. A former judge will lead the review to examine the event, where a presentation by Sarah Schwartz from the left-wing Jewish Council of Australia featured a character named “Dutton’s Jew.” This character was meant to represent conservative Jews supporting Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and exhibited traits like promoting Judeo-Christian values, opposing the radical left, disliking Palestinians and Muslims, and having an anti-immigration stance. In response to the controversy, Schwartz defended the slide as a humorous take on Dutton’s conservative Jewish followers and remarked that she wished it had not been recorded. QUT leadership has distanced itself from the event, stating that the university was unaware of and did not endorse the expressed viewpoints. Justice John Middleton AM KC will conduct the independent review, assessing both the event’s content and the broader program surrounding it. QUT Vice-Chancellor Margaret Sheil expressed appreciation for Justice Middleton’s agreement to oversee the review and emphasized that the university eagerly awaits his findings. Middleton, a former federal court judge, now associated with the law firm DLA Piper, brings significant legal experience to the review. QUT is finalizing the review’s terms and timeline in collaboration with Middleton and has committed to sharing the subsequent findings. The university has stated that it will refrain from making further comments on the review until its completion.
