A senior male academic has been fired by the University of Auckland (UoA) after he tried to force a female Muslim student to shake hands.

When she refused, he laid a sexual discrimination complaint against her.

UoA vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon sent a newsletter to his staff warning them such "serious misconduct" would not be tolerated.

"Late last year we terminated the employment of a senior male academic staff member, after a complaint was received," he says in a screenshot posted to Twitter.

"The staff member concerned intentionally set out to force a young female Muslim student to shake hands with him. He did this knowing that she would consider it culturally or religiously inappropriate to have physical contact with a man who was not a close relative.

"When she declined to shake his hand, he made a complaint of sexual discrimination against her."