We read:
"Two academics suspended for criticising a PhD film project about the disabled have taken their case to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission. The commission last week accepted a complaint of discrimination on the basis of political opinion, brought by Dr Gary MacLennan and Dr John Hookham against Queensland University of Technology.
Dr MacLennan and Dr Hookham, who both say they have been suffering from depression and anxiety since their six-month suspension in June by Queensland University of Technology vice-chancellor Peter Coaldrake, said they were ecstatic.
The commission will hold a conciliation hearing between the parties and if the complaint cannot be resolved, the two academics will refer the matter to the Federal Court. If there is a Federal Court hearing, the controversial film would be shown publicly for the first time and if a judge found against QUT, the court could award damages for discrimination.
The academics were originally suspended with no pay after they wrote an article in The Australian newspaper criticising PhD student Michael Noonan's film project, originally titled Laughing at the Disabled (now Laughing with the Disabled). The pair have appealed against the suspension and that case will be heard in the Federal Court in October....
The two academics are angry the QUT misconduct committee that investigated their case did not look at the 41-minute film before their suspension.
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