Poetry professor suspended over racist emails

Professor of poetry Barry Spurr has been suspended by the University of Sydney after he sent a series of emails referring to "abos", "bogans", "fatsoes", "Mussies" and "Chinky-Poos" – a week after recommending that Australian schools should focus on "Western Judeo-Christian culture".

Spur also called Tony Abbott, the Australian PM, an "abo lover", indigenous Australians "human rubbish tips", Nelson Mandela a "darkie" and Britons the "scum of the earth", The Guardian reports.

Spurr did not deny responsibility for the emails, which were sent from his university account, but he said they were not intended to be taken seriously.

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"The comments that you refer to are largely to one recipient with whom I have had a whimsical linguistic game for many years of trying to outdo one another in extreme statements", he told the Australian website New Matilda.

The University of Sydney released a statement today saying Spurr had been suspended immediately "from teaching and engaging in any other university business and is precluded from attending any University campus, while the matter is investigated", the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"Racist, sexist or offensive language is not tolerated at the University of Sydney," the statement added.

Spurr had served on a panel of experts which last week recommended that the Australian school curriculum should focus less on teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders' literature and place more emphasis on "Western Judeo-Christian culture", ABC reports.

He denied any link between his advice on the curriculum and the language in his emails.

"What I say about the place of the study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language and literature in the curriculum is my considered professional view and not in any way influenced by these email exchanges which are linguistic play," he said. "The numerous students of different races and of colour with whom I have worked for many years will testify that I have treated them with the same equity and dignity that I treat all my students."