A former Australian vice-chancellor has escaped a conviction over the ¡°bizarre and inconceivable lapse¡± that ended her career.

A court hearing in the regional centre of Armidale has ended a three-year legal saga involving Brigid Heywood, whose leadership of the University of New England (UNE) ended abruptly in August 2022.

Heywood was charged with common assault and offensive behaviour over an incident during an International Women¡¯s Day event at Armidale Ex Services Memorial Club the previous March. She had licked her finger and wiped it on the face of a 16-year-old girl who had talked about experiencing racism, in an apparently jocular attempt to check the girl¡¯s skin colour.

The British-born chemist resigned five months later, ending a career that had included stints as deputy vice-chancellor at the University of Tasmania and assistant vice-chancellor at Massey University in New Zealand.

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The incident had taken an emotional toll on the girl, whose family had consequently moved interstate, according to prosecutor¡¯s testimony .

The broadcaster reported that Heywood¡¯s planned week-long hearing had been cut short when the prosecution withdrew the assault charge, after the former vice-chancellor pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour.

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Magistrate Michael Holmes, who has a longstanding association with the , recorded no conviction but declined a defence request that details of the outcome be suppressed.

In a letter of apology read out in the court, Heywood said she had been ¡°shocked¡± to learn of the ¡°distress¡± she had caused the girl during what was supposed to be a celebration of women¡¯s rights, and had reflected on it ¡°every day since¡±.

¡°I¡¯ve lost my career, my professional reputation and a job I dearly loved after some 40 years of being involved in higher education and regional economic development.¡±

Defence barrister Simon Buchen said Heywood¡¯s ¡°momentary aberration from a life of exemplary service¡± had been ¡°entirely out of character¡±. However, Heywood¡¯s judgement had come under question the previous year when she chased a mother around a supermarket, harassing her for not wearing a facemask.

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Questions have also been raised about the culture at UNE during Heywood¡¯s tenure with more than a quarter of respondents to a union survey ¡°reporting symptoms indicative of severe or extreme depression, anxiety and/or burnout¡±.

In a media release issued a fortnight after Heywood¡¯s resignation, the National Tertiary Education Union branch demanded ¡°immediate action¡± to make the university a safe working environment.

A letter from 39 UNE professors called on the university¡¯s governing council to take urgent action to ¡°heal¡± the institution by setting up processes ¡°to ensure that staff can report misconduct and wrongdoing within UNE without fear of retribution¡±, according to .

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com