Adelaide University professor sues over alleged reprisals for public views
Joanna Howe, a law professor at Adelaide University and an anti-abortion campaigner, is suing the university, alleging it breached her employment contract and the Fair Work Act. She says more than 200 allegations relate to her public comments on abortion, Islam and gender, and that her academic career is “on the brink”. The case raises questions about how universities balance staff members’ freedom of expression with complaints about their public views.
Howe says the allegations concern neither her research nor her teaching, and that the dispute has taken a personal toll; she has not been on campus since February. Deputy Vice-Chancellor Joanne Fox said the university takes the matter seriously but has not received court documents and cannot comment. The dispute follows a 2024 Fair Work Commission matter, after which the university agreed Howe would not need to follow workplace measures imposed on her and that no further action would be taken.
In short
- Joanna Howe is suing Adelaide University over alleged restrictions on her speech.
- She says more than 200 allegations concern comments on controversial topics.
- The university says it cannot comment without receiving court documents.
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The case for
A university should not penalise an academic merely for expressing lawful views outside their research and teaching, even when those views are controversial; doing so could chill open debate and undermine academic freedom. Howe’s account of numerous allegations and the earlier agreement that no further action would be taken may support her claim that the university’s response has affected her career unfairly.
The case against
A university also has responsibilities to consider complaints about staff members’ public conduct, particularly where it may affect students or colleagues, and to uphold a respectful working environment. Addressing complaints through fair procedures need not amount to suppressing academic freedom; without the court documents or the university’s account of the allegations, it is not yet clear whether the actions Howe challenges were reprisals or a legitimate institutional response.
Explained simply
Universities employ academics to teach and research, but staff may also speak publicly in a personal capacity. When those views prompt complaints, institutions must consider how to respond while meeting their employment obligations and respecting lawful expression.
Joanna Howe is a law professor at Adelaide University and campaigns against abortion. The university is led academically by Deputy Vice-Chancellor Joanne Fox; it says it has not received court documents and cannot comment on the case.
The dispute follows a 2024 Fair Work Commission matter, an employment process involving workplace disputes. Questions about how universities handle complaints concerning staff members’ public views can affect both academic working conditions and expectations of free expression.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Anti-abortion campaigner Joanna Howe sues employer over free speech after claiming more than 200 complaints: ‘On the brink’”.