Auckland Uni student plans complaint after protest badge row

Auckland University Staff member and student Vernon Tava with the yellow rosette that is a protest against collective agreement changes. Photo / Greg Bowker

A first class honours Auckland University student plans to lay a complaint after being "bullied and intimidated" by staff at his graduation week for wearing a yellow protest badge.

Masters law graduate Vernon Tava was waiting for the Law and Arts Graduation to begin on Monday night when university staff approached him about a rosette he had pinned to his regalia.

The rosette, which called for staff and students to unite to defend the university, was part of a campaign trying prevent certain conditions being removed from the collective employment agreement.

"One guy approached me and ... he said 'look I'm sorry they have asked you to take off the rosette because it's not the right place, it's not the appropriate forum and we just think it will ruin people's night'."

"I said 'look mate I don't want to be a dork about this and I know you are just doing your job but I'm not going to take it off'."

While there as a graduate, Mr Tava is also a tutor and sessional lecturer at the university and as a union member wanted to wear the rosette in a silent protest - the same as many other academic staff were also doing on the night.

Mr Tava asked if he was breaching any rules or regulations by wearing the rosette. None were given and he was instead told by a woman "if you wear that badge you will not be allowed to cross the stage and you won't be graduating tonight."

Conscious that his parents were waiting excitedly in the crowd to see him graduate he removed the rosette and went inside the theatre.

He then pinned on another one but was hauled up at an intermission and again told to remove it.

In the end Mr Tava graduated with the rosette pinned to the inside of his cap, which he held in his hand in the view of the audience after he had graduated on stage.

The woman approached him after he left the stage and warned him he might be "disciplined" for his actions.

Mr Tava said he wasn't trying to make a big deal of the rosette on the night, but it was turned into one by some of the marshalling staff.

"This wasn't a stunt, I really didn't want this to be a drama but at the same time I wasn't going to be bullied by someone who can't tell me what rule it is I'm breaking. This was just something they didn't want to happen because it was a bit embarrassing."

He said the vast majority of academics on stage were wearing the same rosettes so he could not understand the problem.

"It's a freedom of expression issue."

"There was just no good reason for this, It was just a clear attempt to silence a very polite form of protest."

Mr Tava said he loved his job at the university but the behaviour from the marshalling staff, which also included threats to search his pockets and a hand being placed on his chest to stop him entering the theatre, amounted to "full on bullying and intimidation".

He now plans to lay a formal complaint with the university in the hope of getting an apology.

However, the university has responded saying Mr Tava was not bullied or threatened with disciplinary action - "in fact our staff behaved with great restraint".

A spokesman said while graduates were discouraged from wearing badges, stickers or anything that is not "officially sanctioned" over their regalia, the issue would not be forced and no one would be prevented from graduating.