Teen felt ‘degraded and belittled’ by former University of New England vice-chancellor, court told

Prof Brigid Heywood has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and offensive behaviour over an alleged incident in March 2022

Follow our Australia news live blog for the latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

A teenager who was allegedly assaulted and subjected to offensive behaviour by the former vice-chancellor of the University of New England at an International Women’s Day event last year has told a court that the incident left her feeling “ degraded and belittled”.

Prof Brigid Heywood, 65, a British-Australian biological scientist, is alleged to have wiped her saliva on a teenager’s face and commented on her skin colour at a council-run International Women’s Day event on 8 May 2022. She was a panellist at the event.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading…

About Author