“Racist” Warwick manager allegedly dismissed

A senior Estates manager within the University has been allegedly dismissed after complaints from several members of staff for being “rude, offensive, bullying and at times racist.”

The manager in question has reportedly been involved in an investigation since early August, when the first complaint was lodged, but has since continued in his role until early December. It has now been confirmed by a spokesman that he is no longer employed by the university.

Extract from the complaint letter obtained by The Boar

The investigation included interviews with all of the complainants, senior members of Estates and Maintenance staff as well as the manager in question.

The Dignity at Warwick policy, protecting staff and students from such discrimination at Warwick, states in its Rights and Responsibilities clause, “Managers, and others in a position of authority, have a particular responsibility for leading by example, identifying harassment or bullying if it occurs and taking prompt action to stop it.”

In the original complaint letter, this clause is cited as one of the main reasons for the complaint. It is signed by eight members of staff, and we understand it is one of several complaints that have previously been ignored by Maintenance management staff.

Extract from the complaint letter obtained by The Boar

The letter details some of the severe behaviour that this manager is said to have displayed. The writers say that have witnessed his approach to employing new staff, “an approach that has eliminated people from the application process purely based on if there ‘name sounds foreign’.”

If he’s black this guy won’t get the job anyway.” – Alleged complaints claim

The individual, when conducting interviews for prospective employees, is quoted to have said: “They have been winding me up saying his name is short for something. If he’s black this guy won’t get the job anyway.”

As part of the same Diversity at Work protocol, under the Formal Complaints section for staff, clause 6.3 states: “The University reserves the right to suspend any member of staff on normal full pay during any investigation process to protect individuals (suspension on normal full pay is not a disciplinary sanction).”

Managers have a particular responsibility for identifying harassment or bullying.” – Dignity at Warwick policy

However, the manager was, as we understand, not suspended as per the policy between the time the formal complaint was submitted in or around August 4 to the time that they left the University, understood to be on December 4.

This equates to a period of four months within which the manager was allowed to continue working in which they made “some individuals sickened at the idea of coming to work” according to the complaint. We understand that in this time, they apparently continued to interview potential new employees.

The manager in question was understood to have left Warwick on the afternoon of December 4, as stated. It is unclear as to whether he was dismissed or left of his own accord.

The University refused to comment on the investigation or the complaint due to data protection law, but a spokesman did say: “it is in fact relatively rare to suspend individuals during the course of an investigation. Indeed investigations most usually take place to ascertain if there is just cause for any further action including suspension.

“Secondly, investigations can range in length depending on the range a number of issues being investigated but investigators do take the time to make sure each investigation is conducted in a thorough manner.”