AUT looking into “gutter level” comments by Dean of the Law

Auckland University of Technology is looking into “gutter level” comments made by Dean of the AUT Law School.

Khylee Quince named called and told Gary Judd KC to “go die quietly in a corner” on social media, after he lodged a complaint with the Government Regulations Review Committee regarding mandatory tikanga Māori studies for law students.

Quince wrote “I suppose it was inevitable that one of the old racist dinosaurs would make a pathetic squeal in an attempt to preserve the status quo…. Mr Judd and his “matauranga Maori is not science” friends can go die quietly in the corner.”

Gary Judd KC

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was highly critical of Quince’s comments saying “what is most concerning is the Dean of the AUT Law School, Kylee Quince, funded by the taxpayer, decided to typically stoop to a gutter level and call Judd an ‘old racist dinosaur’ who should ‘die quietly in the corner’. This is from someone who is in charge of teaching our law students.”

“gutter level” - Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has condemned Dean of the AUT Law School, Kylee Quince

An AUT spokesperson said “emotions run high on issues as important as Te Tiriti o Waitangi and, by extension, the NZ Council of Legal Education's decision to introduce Tikanga Māori requirements into the university law curriculum from January 2025.

“The words used on this personal Facebook post have offended some people and we are considering these matters” the spokesperson said.

A New Zealand Law Society spokesman said Khylee Quince does not hold a current practising certificate. Therefore, Khylee Quince is not a “lawyer” for the purposes of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act and no complaint about her can be made to the Law Society.

Khylee Quince has not responded to a request to comment.