By Russell Findlay
Daily Record
December 19, 2010
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2010/12/19/scottish-football-association-chiefs-accused-over-second-child-abuse-spoof-86908-22794328/
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A SECOND email making jokes about child abuse will reignite civil war at the Scottish Football Association, we can reveal.
At an appeal on Wednesday, staff sacked for passing on an email about the Pope will claim bosses laughed at an even more offensive message.
One source said: "They are furious and think they are the scapegoats for this. The SFA tried to make it look as if they have acted decisively but it seems they have opened a huge can of worms instead.
"If it's proved that this second email has circulated between other staff, some of them very senior, it's hardly fair."
Union officials acting for four workers axed in the wake of the Dallasgate controversy will make the shock claims at appeal hearings this week.
Secretary Amanda McDonald, audio-visual technician Tim Berridge, mailroom manager Bob Bryan and administrative assistant Marco McIntyre were dismissed from the SFA along with referees' chief Hugh Dallas.
After their dismissal, SFA president George Peat said he only learned of the sackings in the media, adding: "I wasn't in the office."
SFA sources said they were punished because they had sent a notorious email about the Pope's visit to Scotland - which branded him a danger to children - to people outwith the Hampden HQ.
But now the workers claim a spoof video advertising a repel lent spray to protect youngsters from paedophile priests was widely circulated and viewed within the SFA.
McDonald, Berridge and McIntyre will be accompanied by their GMB union reps when they begin an appeal at Hampden on Wednesday.
They will draw attention to a US web clip made by comedy website National Banana. It features a young boy who suffers a sex attack by a priest but is then protected by "Priest Off " spray.
The clip starts with the boy returning from a Catholic camp where he has been abused by a priest. His parents then laugh at the idea of reporting the abuse to Church authorities because of their reputation for covering up abuse.
The video then turns to a spoof TV ad for the spray, which "works just like insect spray". After being sprayed with Priest Off , the child repels the clergy.
It ends with a priest being struck by a lightning bolt.
One source said: "They believe they have been treated unfairly because this video went round other staff - including two senior guys - with no consequences.
It's also thought they have evidence of similar material joking about the abuse of children by priests circulating between senior SFA figures.
"Dallas will hear whether his appeal against dismissal was successful tomorrow.
Another source said: "Whatever the outcome of his appeal, it could be a guide as to what might happen with the other three.
"They're not going away quietly. They believe that there is serious hypocrisy in the way they have been treated. They believe their punishment didn't fit the 'crime'. They want their jobs back."
A Catholic Church spokesman said: "It's important that an employer who has an acceptable use policy applies it consistently. You can't have one rule for one group and a different rule for others."
An SFA spokesman said: "We are not in a position to comment on a live case."
'JOKE' EMAILS PROVE A GROWING PROBLEM
Lawyers are facing a deluge of cases involving employees sending controversial emails from work accounts.
Laura Salmond, of Glasgow solicitors Levy & McRae, said: "More and more employers are putting policies in place which state that forwarding questionable emails is a disciplinary offence.
"Disciplinary action over this sort of thing is becoming increasingly common, not just with emails but also with social media like Facebook."
Solicitor Austin Lafferty said: "People could be breaking their contract of employment, even if it's an innocent joke in good taste, because it's wasting time."
Salmond added: "People need to be aware of the potential consequences of their actions.
"If anyone receives an email they're not sure about, they should bring it to the attention of management or delete it."
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