“We don't check who is Māori and who is not”: Compromising messages between student reps leaked

A discord chat between past and incoming student representatives shows discussions around a “Māori pass” and joining in on corruption.  

However, representatives argue the messages sent during the student election have been taken out of context.  

The screenshots were shared on the MasseyMāori@Distance Facebook page on April 9th but were taken down a few days later.  

One message from user Micah stated, “‘Technically we don't check who is Māori and who is not’ so do with that what you will.” 

Another message from user Keez said, “If te tira ahu pae can be corrupt and work its way around shi then SO CAN IIIII.” 

Micah responded, “Nothing in the rules against it.” 

Regarding the messages, former rep Micah Geiringer said, “I wasn’t implying non-Māori students should run for Māori positions, regrettably I made a joke about ‘checking’ whether students were Māori.” 

Geiringer was recently appointed as general president, however, has since resigned. The position is still open.  

He clarified that the association and university check student IDs against their listed ethnicity when voting in the student election, “I thought this was common knowledge, so out of context I can appreciate it looks a bit dodgy”.  

“I actually do stand by most of my comments. I think the association is corrupt and needs major reforms. There were some jokes made in poor taste but these statements about the association being corrupt and undemocratic are comments I’ve made in the past quite publicly.” 

“I hold no apology for calling a donkey a donkey.” 

Geiringer believed the association was corrupt because the main student president positions (General/Distance, Māori and Pasifika) are appointed not elected. This was one of the reasons he chose to resign.  

“Appointments are corrupt and by extension any organisation that governs itself with a corrupt system is: corrupt.” 

The leaked messages follow an incident in April, when three Māori board members were removed from the board two weeks before their contracts were up. Geiringer was one of the board members to motion the removals.  

A removed board member, Chiavanni Le'Mon, was one of the monitors for the Facebook page in which the leak occurred. She said the compromising post was taken down after finding out Keezia Broughton was 17 years old at the time.  

Even so, Le’Mon was unimpressed by the messages, “It's a little bit upsetting and very concerning.” 

She said Māori reps do have board roles and with this, they have a lot of say.  

She noted it was important to ensure Māori reps are “legitimate". 

However, Le'Mon did not blame Broughton, “We believed that she's being guided in the wrong way.”  

“It's not a safe space, especially for Māori reps,” she said, going on to explain that the association hasn't felt safe for Māori since it amalgamated at the end of 2022.   

Newly elected Māori distance rep, Keezia Broughton addressed the leaked messages, stating, “It is clear that these conversations were taken out of context, and I recognize that the messages that have been shared can be portrayed negatively and become harmful".  

“I do not stand by the ‘leaked’ messages now”.  

Broughton noted these conversations took place during the elections, before she was elected as the Kaiwhakahaere ō Pāmamao (Māori distance rep).  

“This does not represent TTAP (Te Tira Ahu Pae) by any means nor endorsed by TTAP as well”.  

A statement from Te Tira Ahu Pae said, “The association does not stand by the comments made in the leaked chats.” 

“The Discord group chat is not an official channel associated with Te Tira Ahu Pae, and the comments of these individuals are not reflective of the associations' stance, policies or procedures.”