Much of the discussion following the Fraser fiasco has centred around the right of academics to freedom of speech. But Fraser's right to freedom of speech must also be weighed up against the rights of his students to be free from discrimination and abuse. Macquarie University has known about Drew Fraser's teaching methods and personal opinions for a number of years and has done as much as they can to marginalise him from the department. As one UTS Law academic tells the Observer, "They [the university] were just waiting for him to make a wrong move and now he has."

By all accounts Fraser has gone out of his way to promote his racist views in class. One student of Fraser's commented on the youth website Vibewire that he has "preached this stuff to public law classes at Macquarie for a long time... Students have complained that he has racially discriminated against them in class through serious verbal abuse and unfair marking..."

To subject his students to his own personal ravings in class is an abuse of Fraser's position as a university lecturer. Whatever Fraser's rights, it's not acceptable for students to feel personally attacked and uncomfortable in the classroom. Of course students would feel uncomfortable in Fraser's class after hearing him make comments that Chinese immigrants threaten the "social, political and economic interests of ordinary Australians and their children" because they are too successful or that African-American people have significantly lower IQs and "significantly more testosterone".

Fraser's comments have caused distress to a lot of people. As Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University Professor Di Yerbury told ABC radio, "It's about my students knowing whatever race of origin is or cultural backgrounds or religion have a right to feel safe and as comfortable and as respected and as free from abuse as anybody else on our campus."

Macquarie University is right to try and silence Fraser. Just because his views might be shared by other people in the community does not make them more acceptable or true. Obviously a need exists to break down prejudices in the community and further explore these issues, but the lecture theatre is not the place to do it. But it's not a matter of political correctness, it's just about being correct.