High-profile scientist Siouxsie Wiles left a courtroom in tears after recounting a threat made against her on Christmas Eve.

She's taking legal action against her employer, the University of Auckland, saying it didn't seriously respond to those threats until more than two years after Wiles first complained.

Herald reporter Isaac Davison says Wiles and colleagues with complaints of harassment counted about 60 emails and 7 meetings before they felt the university was responding.

He says the university initially got external security advice- and her complaint was much of it was reactive.

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