Dr Simon Spacey vs Waikato Uni

Stuff reports on an interesting employment case:

A University of Waikato lecturer is seeking $1.8 million in compensation from his employer who he claims did nothing when he was being bullied online by students. 

$1.8 million???

Senior lecturer Simon Spacey alleges students made a derogatory webpage using an image of him, they also struck up a conversation about him on social media as well as emails he received which referred to him in derogatory terms. 

By derogatory terms, does he mean the e-mail below where he chastises a student for not calling him Dr Spacey?

His university page is interesting for two reasons. First his seven degrees or diplomas!

B. Sc. (Hons), M. Sc., D.E.A, M.B.A, J.L.P, D. CSC, D.I.U, Ph. D

I’m not even sure what a D.E.A is. J.L.P seems to be Japanese Language Programme. The D. CSC is something from the Centre for Scientific Computing I think.

But also of interest is Dr Spacey lists next to each degree a comment such as “High Honours”, “Special Mention”, “Top 5% Band” which is not something I’ve seen before on a CV for an academic.

A poet on Reddit has come up with a little poem:

My name is Doctor Spacey
Hallowed be my name
I’m not called Tim or Tracey
Not Bob and not Elaine

I’m a personage important
I’m a prodigy, a star
I’m a legend in my lunchtime
Please address me with “Hurrah!”

I have a phD in Awesome
And 48 degrees
Three knighthoods and an Emmy
A Purple Heart and a VC

I never need to purchase alcohol
Because I turn water into wine
I have no need for any vehicle
Because I slide through space and time

When I arrived in Hamilton
It was like the Second Coming
I expected bugles and parades
Marching bands and drumming

When I invented the internet
I never expected to see
Anything but tribute pages
Paying homage to me

You will all be sorry
Your lives will be misery
You would all be nothing
If it weren’t for me

For the sake of clarity I should point out that I don’t think the poet is claiming Dr Spacey has actually claimed to have a VC or invented the Internet. I think he or she is lampooning perceived self-importance.

I suspect that if one didn’t chastise students for not calling you Dr Spacey, then they might not say derogatory things about you online.