An academic who sued the University of Melbourne, alleging he was dismissed after private comments describing a cultural review as an "ideological re-education camp" that celebrates the "noble savage" were leaked, has reached a settlement with the University.

The university had attempted to terminate Dr Eric Descheemaeker's employment after a 2023 email surfaced in which he argued "'Blak' activists" were seeking to drive the Melbourne Law School (MLS) to "destruction".

"I joined what I thought was a world-class law faculty: I wake up in an Ideological re-education camp with incredibly parochial concerns, those of the inner north suburbs of Melbourne (sorry, 'Naarm')," Dr Descheemaeker wrote in the leaked email to former MLS Dean, Professor Matthew Harding.

"Celebrating the 'noble savage' is already the main, if not exclusive, thing MLS appears to exist for — with just a bit of space to spare for every possible sexual or gendered minority vying for claims to victimhood."

The cultural safety review of one of the most prestigious law faculties in the country was commissioned following the resignation of several Indigenous staff members, including Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man Dr Eddie Cubillo.

Dr Descheemaeker brought discrimination proceedings against the university, alleging the attempted dismissal amounted to adverse action based on his political opinion. His legal team argued the comments were not racist and were protected under the university's academic freedom of expression policy.

The matter was due to be heard in the Federal Circuit and Family Court in February. However, Guardian Australia reported on Wednesday court documents showed the case was finalised and dismissed by consent in November.

In a statement, the University of Melbourne did not confirm whether Dr Descheemaeker remains employed at MLS.

"The University confirms that the proceedings brought by Professor Descheemaeker have been dismissed by the Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia by consent of the parties," a university spokesperson said.

"The University cannot make any further comment at this time."

Sources told National Indigenous Times they believe Dr Descheemaeker will shortly leave the law school, with a formal announcement expected in the coming weeks.

Court documents indicate Dr Descheemaeker alleged the university suspended him because of his "political opinion".

His barrister, Dimitri Ternovski, argued his client's "colourful comments" were only intended to be seen by Professor Harding and were meant to push back against identity politics, according to court documents.

The cultural review followed public comments by Dr Cubillo, who resigned as Associate Dean and Senior Fellow at MLS in 2023, describing the university as the "most culturally unsafe place" he had worked. Dr Cubillo is currently the Director of the Mabo Centre, a joint initiative of the National Native Title Council and the University of Melbourne.

Responding to the review in the leaked email, Dr Descheemaeker wrote: "They have made us start every meeting with ritual prayers. Their (non-existing) claims to land are now 'acknowledged' about every 10 feet in our corridors."

"They want me to teach that Australian law is only 'settler law' and that there exists a rich body of 'Indigenous law' alongside (what are Indigenous private-law remedies, I wonder. Ritual spearings?)."

In 2023, the University of Melbourne published Dhoombak Goobgoowana: A History of Indigenous Australia and the University of Melbourne, examining the institution's colonial history and its links to scientific racism and eugenics.

One of the book's authors, Professor Marcia Langton AO, said that during her nearly 25 years at the university she had often heard "whispered asides about aspects of the history of the institution".

"For too long, those of us whose academic professions require that we understand the impacts of our scholarship on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have wanted our colleagues and students to be aware of the events, people, and intellectual forces of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries that shaped our modern university," Professor Langton said.