Senior manager who made offensive comments leaves trust
A senior manager who apparently made sexist and racist remarks on a work video call with colleagues has left the trust involved after an investigation.
But Medway Foundation Trust will not say whether the senior manager resigned or was disciplined for the remarks, which were condemned by leading campaigners. HSJ has been unable to contact the manager concerned.
HSJ reported in August on two short videos which appear to come from the same work call, where the manager is chatting with colleagues while waiting to begin a meeting.
At one point a colleague says she has just eaten a KitKat. The senior manager then introduces a new colleague — who appears to be of South Asian heritage — saying: “While we are all talking chocolate, can we just introduce…” before naming the member of staff and their role. The colleague responds briefly to introduce themselves, and adds: “I’m also chocolate, apparently.”
In the other video, the participants are joking about people’s character, and when someone asks about how “nice girls” are regarded, the senior manager says: “If you are a nice girl, you are frigid.” One or two of his colleagues seem to laugh briefly, but some appear shocked and one says: “That’s a bit rough” and someone tells the senior manager: “You are so un-PC [politically correct].”
The senior manager, who was not a member of the trust’s board, goes on to say: “No one likes a nice girl.”
Professor Partha Kar, who received a copy of the videos, said at the time the remarks were “astonishing examples of sexism and racism”. Professor Kar, who has a South Asian background and is a medical consultant in a different trust, also contacted the trust.
He said: “It’s good to hear this matter has been looked into and dealt with. The trust needs to reflect why it has needed external focus and flagging for this to be dealt with, and hopefully such behaviour will be taken into account for said individual looking into other jobs in the NHS.”
The trust has confirmed to HSJ the senior manager no longer works there. Chief executive Jayne Black said: ‘’Racism and sexism are totally unacceptable and not in line with our values. Following an investigation, the individual is no longer employed by the trust.”