The University of Melbourne's Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous) has written to colleagues in the wake of Indigenous academic Dr Eddie Cubillo resigning earlier this month, saying the university has to "do better".

Dr Cubillo, a Larrakia, Wadjigan and Central Arrernte man, led Indigenous programs as an associate dean and senior fellow at the university's Melbourne Law School (MLS) before resigning after public complaints over institutional racism.

In an article in Guardian Australia, he noted the University was the "most culturally unsafe place" at which he had worked.

The National Indigenous Times received a copy of the email Barry Judd, a descendent of the Pitjantjatjara people and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous), sent to colleagues in the wake of Dr Cubillo's resignation.

Prof. Judd noted the achievements of Dr Cubillo as the university, including his insistence the facility be a safe place for Indigenous people to work and study.

"As a trusted senior Indigenous colleague, Dr Cubillo has worked closely with me over the past 18 months," Prof. Judd said.

"His advocacy on this important issue prompted a range of initiatives, including the framing of the University's Anti-Racism statement, a commitment to establish an Office of Indigenous Employment and to pilot an Indigenous Cultural Education Program for all University staff.

"Dr Cubillo made a significant contribution to Murmuk Djerring [the University of Melbourne's Indigenous Strategy 2023–2027], in particular the measures addressing racism and cultural safety in our university."

However, Dr Cubillo remains the only Blak academic out of 126 in the law faculty.

This week saw posters placed around the law school in solidarity with Mr Cubillo.

NITV reported that the posters that were put up by students, many of which quoted Dr Cullibo's Wingarra Djuraliyin Public Lecture at the University of Sydney's Law School on August 9, were being taken down. One stated:

"Basically, students don't expect me (A black man) to work at the Melbourne Law School, especially as an academic. I'm misrecognised as an outsider or an intruder."

In response to questions about the posters being removed and the overall lack of cultural safety at the Law School, a University of Melbourne spokesperson told National Indigenous Times that they were "aware of and deeply concerned by cultural safety issues that have been raised."

"Those experiences have challenged us to consider what we are doing to address Indigenous cultural safety and to demonstrate that racism is not tolerated at the Melbourne Law School. It is not acceptable that Indigenous staff and students have been made to feel unwelcome or under-valued," the spokesperson said.

In his email to staff, Prof Judd said that Dr Cubillo remained a valued member of staff at the University of Melbourne, but that the University "cannot and should not ignore Dr Cubillo's experiences," especially in his position as a "proud aboriginal man."

"He has raised and discussed these concerns over a long period. I am very troubled by the harm Dr Cubillo has experienced as a trusted, valued and highly respected academic colleague. His experiences show how current processes are ill equipped to deal with the complex issues raised by allegations of racism in the workplace," Prof Judd said.

"There is no place for racism at the University of Melbourne…If we are to achieve our ambition to be the university of choice for Indigenous Australians, we must learn from the painful experiences of Dr Cubillo and others."

The email ended with Professor Judd assuring colleagues he would work hard to implement the required structural and cultural changes to address the issues described by Dr Cubillo.

The University spokesperson said a review was underway.

"The Dean has commissioned an Indigenous-led advisory firm to undertake an Indigenous cultural safety review for the Law School. This review, which has commenced and will be completed in early 2024, will evaluate cultural safety for Indigenous staff and students at the Law School and will make recommendations for improvement," they said.

"Meanwhile, other major university-wide initiatives are in train. These include a mandatory Indigenous cultural education program for staff, the university's first anti-racism action plan, and Murmuk Djerring which was launched in August."

Sources have told National Indigenous Times that a top-down report has been pushed by Dr Cubillo for several years, and its implementation at the last minute did nothing to allay fears of the Law School not listening to Aboriginal people.

Dr Cubillo's lecture at the University of Sydney, titled: One more broken silence: An Indigenous academic encounters racism in the Law School, discussed his personal experiences of institutional racism.

Whilst most Wingarra Djuraliyin lectures are uploaded online, Dr Cubillo's is noticeably absent, with the University of Sydney noting that "ongoing legal issues" had prevented them from uploading the lecture on Youtube.

Professor Amanda Porter, a Yuin woman who was Senior Fellow of Indigenous Programs at the law school and a colleague of Dr Cubillo, told NITV that his claims came as no surprise, saying she was exhausted by the "number of legal academics who would rather send defamation notices or lodge formal complaints to HR than confront their own behaviour."

"There is a culture of defamation threats, complaints and racism within Australian law schools," she said.

"These complaints are nothing but manifestations of white fragility…I believe these complaints and legal actions are actively pursued with the knowledge that there is an absence of First Nations representation in HR departments, not to mention an absence of basic racial literacy."

A petition calling for urgent action to address the complaints about First Nations staff and students at the University has gained more than a 1,000 signatures.

It says the need for repair and reparation at MLS is critical.

"Substantial, genuine, empathetic, generous engagements to address the lack of cultural safety at MLS are urgent and necessary. The failure of the institution to take meaningful action on, listen to, and support First Nations staff and students is unacceptable."

It calls for an immediate apology, a standing committee on anti-racism made up of First Nations people, ongoing anti-racism training, and a mandatory subject to be part of the Juris Doctorate.

Some of the signatories include First Nations lawyer Teela Reid, CEO of Sisters Inside, Debbie Kilroy, CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, Nerita Waight, the CEO of the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence, Jason Glanville, and the director of Murrup Barak at the University of Melbourne, Inala Cooper.