UWA ROW ACADEMIC DIES
By MICHAEL DAY AND JONATHAN COOK

(picture of Rindos with caption "Dr. Rindos")

The former academic at the centre of the biggest row in the history of the University of WA died in his sleep early yesterday.

Dr. David Rindos, 49, died of unknown causes in his Wembley home where he had spent the past three years fighting the UWA decision not to renew his contract as a senior lecturer in archaeology.

At one stage this year, a parliamentary committee, the Ombudsman and a UWA senate committee were investigating grievance of Dr. Rindos, who came to UWA from the United States in 1989.

Dr. Rindos, who left the university in 1993 and remained unemployed until his death, claimed the UWA decision was in response to his blowing the whistle on alleged mismanagement in his department.

Although he had support in some sections of the media and from some UWA staff members and students, he was opposed by the five other archaeology academics and most of the department's original postgraduate students.

Yesterday, David Goddard, Dr. Rindos' partner, blamed his death on the pressures of the so-called Rindos affair and the subsequent media reports.

"At this stage we do not know what the cause was. Obviously, there will have to be an autopsy to determine the cause of death," Mr. Goddard.

Some of the claims made in the media had been libellous and scurrilous and contained little truth.

Although Dr. Rindos threatened to sue The West Australian for defamation, he did not follow up with any formal action after he was told the newspaper would defend any suit vigorously.

While at UWA, Dr. Rindos sent threatening legal letters to three female students who had made sexual harassment allegations against him and to an archaeology staff member. He won a defamation suit against a former student who had failed to file a defense.

The Legislative Council's government agencies committee began its inquiry into his grievance in April this year after Labor MLC Mark Nevill raised the issue in a lengthy speech that was contested by UWA. It failed to reach nay findings after 40 hours of meetings and it is not know whether the inquiry will resume in the next Parliament.