University of Melbourne forced to rehire professor Stephan Matthai who was sacked after ‘highly inappropriate’ messages

A professor who was fired after he sent “highly inappropriate” messages to a student at a top Australian university has been given his position back by the Fair Work Commission. University of Melbourne engineering professor Stephan Matthai was dismissed in December 2024 for a series of incidents in 2017 and 2018 in which he sent “numerous intimate texts and emails” to a PhD student that he was supervising. The student went on to tell Dr Matthai that she loved him, which he did not reciprocate, however, the intimate messaging continued. The student later told another professor that she no longer wanted Dr Matthai as her supervisor and was reassigned without making a formal complaint. In January 2024, she contacted the university and alleged that Dr Matthai had sexually harassed her. The university investigated the matter and found there was no basis for the sexual harassment allegation, but Dr Matthai’s messages were “highly inappropriate”. In one interaction, Dr Matthai and the student discussed body types, and he sent a photo of himself in boxers – at the time he said it was to demonstrate that he was an ectomorph or skinny person. The student responded by asking: “Can I love you German professor?” Dr Matthai replied: “You do not need my permission, do you?” He told the university’s external investigator that he sent the picture as he was feeling “unworthy and abandoned” and needed some “positive feedback”. The University of Melbourne considered the behaviour to be serious misconduct and dismissed the professor. While the Fair Work decision found that it was “clear” that Dr Matthai’s messages were inappropriate, it considered whether they were a valid reason for dismissal years after the offending. “Nevertheless, I consider that it was harsh to dismiss Dr Matthai for misconduct that had occurred so long ago, in circumstances where he had maintained an unblemished record over the following seven years of his employment,” Deputy President Alan Colman found. “In my view, the dismissal was unfair, and the appropriate remedy is for Dr Matthai to be reinstated.” The commission found that while Dr Matthai was not pursuing a romantic relationship with the student, he was going through a “difficult” break-up with his then partner and wanted his “close relationship” with the student to continue. “Not everyone is willing to listen to the sorrows of the broken-hearted,” Mr Colman wrote in his decision. The university was instructed to reinstate Dr Matthai to his position immediately and pay him more than $28,000 for lost income during his period of dismissal. The Fair Work Commission orders, handed down on Monday, July 7, made clear the reinstatement must happen within 14 days. In a statement, the University of Melbourne said it was considering an appeal of the ruling, with a spokesperson saying the university was “disappointed” in the decision. “The university is considering its options to appeal the decision and will not comment further on this matter at this time,” they said.