The Australian | 15 December 2012
La Trobe University is facing a student backlash over rights to protest, after it charged three students with misconduct over their alleged actions during demonstrations against cuts to the humanities faculty.
One of the students, Danica Cheesley, said she now faced false accusations that she broke the ribs of a security guard at a July protest.
She said another student is accused of pushing to the ground the dean of humanities and social sciences, Tim Murray, while the third student is accused of intimidation. All three reject the charges, but face possible expulsion.
Supporters fear the students will be denied natural justice at the closed hearings, at which they aren’t entitled to legal representation, and have challenged the university to take the case to an open court if it believes any assault has taken place.
The university said the disciplinary process follows an investigation into the incidents, which occurred in July and August.
