Professor Andrew Timming thought he was making a good point about sexism when he tweeted a sassy emoji message about Andrew Tate and Greta Thunberg. Then he got fired

An Australian academic claims he was fired from his high-paying job over a tweet response to eco-activist Greta Thunberg and controversial influencer Andrew Tate.

Professor Andrew Timming claims he was sacked by RMIT University just before Christmas this year after 12 months of 'bullying' since his original tweet in December 2022.

Prof. Timming, who specializes in Human Resource Management, has appealed to the Fair Work Commission, accusing the university of suppressing freedom of expression and having an inherent left-wing bias.

The tweet made by Professor Timming was in response to a brief, viral interaction on the social media platform between Tate and Thunberg.

Tate shared a photo of himself in the front seat of his Bugatti, telling Thunberg he had 33 cars and asking for her email address so he could send her a detailed list of their “massive emissions.”

Thunberg gave the sarcastic response: 'Yes, please enlighten me. Email me at smalld**kenergy@getalife.com'.

Professor Timming then intervened and pointed out what he said was a sexist double standard.

“Demeaning sexual jokes when directed at a man by a woman,” he wrote, followed by smiley and wink emojis.

“Degrading sexual jokes when directed from a man to a woman,” he then wrote, followed by the bomb and skull and crossbones emojis.

He claims that this single tweet was the cause of backlash among senior university staff

Professor Timming claims his tweet angered RMIT management and he was reprimanded and threatened with disciplinary action.

The backlash prompted him to file a complaint in May 2023 because the university's academic freedom policy was not adhered to.

He claims this has led to 'vicious bullying'.

Prof. Timming eventually took the dispute to the Fair Work Commission, after which the university placed him on extended leave for health reasons.

He then consulted a university-appointed independent physician, who cleared him to return to work.

Professor Timming's tweet was a response to a message from climate activist Greta Thunberg

Thunberg had replied to this tweet from Andrew Tate and said to email her at smalld***energy@getalife.com

However, on his return, Professor Timming claims RMIT overloaded him with extra work and teaching duties, and the bullying continued.

He then challenged the additional duties under RMIT's negotiating agreement with the Fair Work Commission.

This prompted the university to summon him three days before Christmas to tell him he had been fired for “misconduct” for his refusal to do the job.

Prof Timming, who describes himself as an 'out-of-the-closet conservative', has now launched a petition calling on RMIT Vice-Chancellor Professor Alec Cameron to reinstate him.

The academic received his PhD from the University of Cambridge in Great Britain, where he also worked.

He also held academic positions at the University of Manchester, the University of St Andrews and the University of Western Australia.

The original tweet exchange between Tate and Thunberg in December 2022 took place a week before Tate was arrested in Romania for alleged rape and human trafficking crimes.

That lawsuit is pending, but earlier this week an appeal by Tate to leave Romania for three days to visit his family in Britain was rejected.

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate has been charged with criminal offenses in Romania

In a statement via the Free Speech Union Australia. Professor Timming claimed that universities do not respect freedom of expression and workplace rights, such as the ability to file a complaint.

“No professor or student should face adverse action for protected speech,” he said.

'If scientists and students are afraid to speak out for fear of reprisals, there is really no point in a university.

“The purpose of higher education should be to encourage debate and disagreement.”

“We cannot sacrifice speech on the altar of civility. Academics have the right to be shocking and offensive.”

Daily Mail Australia has contacted RMIT for comment.