Claims of unethical hiring process for new Albany vice president

Shayne Sullivan was announced as the new vice president of the Albany campus two weeks ago. Photo / Te Tira Ahu Pae  

An anonymous student association source says staff are feeling unsafe with the appointment of Shayne Sullivan as Albany vice president.  

This follows the former rep leaking confidential documents, being kicked off the board, and requesting $75,000 in compensation.  

But president Chiavanni Le’Mon, who was on the hiring panel, stands by her decision.  

Sullivan and Le’Mon were two of the three representatives who, in May, filed a lawsuit against Te Tira Ahu Pae for reputational and cultural damage, after their early removal from the board.  

An association source claimed warnings about hiring Sullivan were disregarded.

President Le’Mon dismissed applicants for the Albany vice president job, only interviewing Shayne Sullivan and one other.  

“The rest of them just got a ‘no, sorry,’ which seemed like a real shame and that has upset them,” the source claimed.

Last year, Sullivan admitted he was the whistleblower that caused a privacy breach, leading to a friend of his posting information about Te Tira Ahu Pae and its staff.  

While staff felt personally targeted by the leaks, no official complaint was made, the source claiming the board advised that it could not handle more complaints.  

Upon hearing of Sullivan’s re-appointment, staff requested to know his hours and on-campus schedule to safeguard wellbeing after last year’s leaks. Le’Mon had reportedly not fulfilled this request.  

The source described staff safety as “walked over”, describing it as ironic as reps have frequently spoken up about the need for their own safety in the past two years.  

The timing of the appointment was also called into question, with only a few weeks left of the academic semester.  

New VP Sullivan said he understood there may be assumptions about his appointment, “I’m not returning to make a point or anything, I just see that there is mahi to be done and I have the capacity and desire to do it”. 

He believed past challenges had been resolved, and the experience had shaped his understanding of the work.  

He admitted the past lawsuit did make him hesitant to come back. But regardless, “I saw a need and came on board to help support the reps on the Ōtehā campus for the remainder of the year”.  

Sullivan said he leaked information last year out of concern for board members’ conduct and their alleged use of confidentiality to conceal misconduct. 

“I put my name to it and accepted whatever consequences came from my actions.”  

President Chiavanni Le’Mon echoed this sentiment, saying Sullivan took responsibility for sharing confidential information on one occasion.  

Le’Mon claimed no issues raised by staff met the threshold to prevent Sullivan’s appointment, and maintained that the hiring process followed protocol. 

She said external HR and governance advice was sought throughout the recruitment process to ensure they were complying with the association constitution.  

When asked about staff’s safety concerns, she said there were no official complaints or substantiated concerns relating to this appointment.  

“Perceptions have understandably varied due to past experiences, but we are focused on maintaining a safe, supportive environment”. 

She said all three members of the interview panel shortlisted the same candidates, and the final decision was made collaboratively.  

She highlighted that the decision was not a reflection on the quality of the other applicants, but rather a practical decision given the time frame.  

Le’Mon has come under her own fair share of scrutiny since the lawsuit and her own appointment this year 

Upon her appointment as president, she offered to relocate from the Cook Islands to New Zealand for the role.  

This did not take place, Le’Mon saying it was not a contractual requirement.  

“For the short term, it was agreed that relocation was unnecessary given the hybrid nature of Te Tira Ahu Pae’s operations and my ability to fulfil deliverables remotely”.  

However, she said if she were to be offered a longer-term contract, she would work from the Ōtehā campus.  

Massey’s Civics Club wrote to Massive last Wednesday also expressing concerns over the hiring process, describing it as “a clear undemocratic decision”. 

However, the club did not necessarily find issue with Sullivan himself, but instead with the process of appointments rather than elections.  

“The appointment process further restricts the student cohorts rights to participate in selecting their own representatives and instead centralises power with a small group”. 

“It only weakens the integrity of the associations governance”.  

They said elections provide a fair, open platform for student engagement, ensuring representatives are chosen by the community they serve. 

The club has been advocating for all reps to be elected continually, starting with an open letter sent to Te Tira Ahu Pae in August.  

The change this club wants to see could very well happen as the association moves forward with new representation model options. Students will get to have their say on how representatives are selected, and more, at the Special General Meeting this Wednesday.