Post by Kiwi Frontline on Jun 14, 2018 18:25:32 GMT 12
SIR BOB JONES REQUESTS REMOVAL OF TWEET, PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM WAIKATO UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR
Sir Bob Jones is demanding an apology and retraction after a University of Waikato professor called him "racist" on social media.
Associate professor Dr Leonie Pihama, the director of Te Kotahi Research Institute at the university, was served with a letter by Jones' lawyer John Langford last Friday.
The letter referred to a tweet sent by Pihama the day prior, where she called Jones "racist".
It follows the news that Jones filed defamation proceedings against a Māori filmmaker who formed a petition to revoke his knighthood.
"The term 'racist' is clearly defamatory, by any reasonable standard. It was simply used as a label in this case and cannot be defended as part of some wider debate, or discussion about race issues," Langford wrote in the legal letter.
"Sir Robert requires you to immediately withdraw, and retract, your use of this label, and apologise to him, via the same media in which it was published."
Langford concluded that Jones' next steps will be determined by Pihama's approach to the letter......
www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12070477
Sir Bob Jones is demanding an apology and retraction after a University of Waikato professor called him "racist" on social media.
Associate professor Dr Leonie Pihama, the director of Te Kotahi Research Institute at the university, was served with a letter by Jones' lawyer John Langford last Friday.
The letter referred to a tweet sent by Pihama the day prior, where she called Jones "racist".
It follows the news that Jones filed defamation proceedings against a Māori filmmaker who formed a petition to revoke his knighthood.
"The term 'racist' is clearly defamatory, by any reasonable standard. It was simply used as a label in this case and cannot be defended as part of some wider debate, or discussion about race issues," Langford wrote in the legal letter.
"Sir Robert requires you to immediately withdraw, and retract, your use of this label, and apologise to him, via the same media in which it was published."
Langford concluded that Jones' next steps will be determined by Pihama's approach to the letter......
www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12070477