Black NHS racial equality boss, 58, is sacked from £100,000-a-year job for discrimination after allegedly telling colleague he was 'everything she despised in a white manager'
An NHS racial equality boss was sacked from her £100,000-a-year job for allegedly telling a colleague he was 'everything she despised in a white manager'.
Dr Vivienne Lyfar-Cissé, 58, was fired from her role at the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust for harassing a white coworker because of his race.
She filed an unfair dismissal claim after being fired in 2016 after 32 years at the trust but lost last week, reports the Sunday Mirror.
Following a year-long investigation, the trust upheld three allegations against the biochemist, including one that she 'bullied and victimised' someone over their sexual orientation.
A report by the employment tribunal said it 'upheld an allegation that you discriminated against [Mr W] on 5 May 2017 by making negative remark about him because he is white and you acted in a way that amounts to harassment related to [Mr W’s] race.'
Dr Lyfar-Cissé told the Mirror: 'I am not in a position to comment on the judgement given. I intend to lodge an appeal.'
She became Associate Director of Transformation in October 2014, and her main objective in this role was to progress the Race Equality Workforce Engagement Strategy.
In 2016, the trust was placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission after the watchdog found discrimination against BME people was 'rife'.
It also found that some LGBTQ+ staff felt they were being treated unequally, reports ITV.
The Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust has been contacted for comment.
They told the Sunday Mirror that they would not comment on the tribunal, but that a recent CQC inspection found 'a dramatic turnaround in culture'.
