By Dean Herbert
The Express
December 20, 2010
http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/218445/SFA-snared-in-new-row-over-offensive-joke/
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| SFA bosses allegedly laughed at an e-mail joke about child abuse in the Catholic church. |
A NEW row is about to erupt at the SFA after it was alleged that bosses laughed at another e-mail joke about child abuse in the Catholic church.
Staff sacked over an "insulting" e-mail about the Pope, say that senior managers circulated an even more offensive message containing a spoof advertisement.
Four staff were recently fired by Scotland's football governing body for forwarding an e-mail branding the Pontiff a danger to children on the day of his visit to Scotland in September.
The incident also led to the SFA's head of referees development Hugh Dallas being sacked after the Catholic Church demanded his dismissal.
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But union chiefs will tell appeal hearings against the dismissals that bosses at the SFA had forwarded another e-mail making fun of child abuse in the Catholic Church.
On Wednesday, lawyers from the GMB union will draw attention to a spoof video they allege was viewed by senior figures in the SFA.
Mr Dallas will learn whether his appeal against his dismissal is successful later today.
One SFA staff member said: "They believe they have been treated unfairly because this video went round other staff, including two senior managers, with no consequences. It is also thought that they have evidence of similar material circulating between other senior SFA figures."
A spokesman for the Catholic Church 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."
The SFA declined to comment, saying it was still a "live case".
The allegations come just weeks after one of the sacked workers, administrator Marco McIntyre, was considering fleeing Glasgow after receiving death threats over the e-mail.
The Catholic Church also recently launched an anti-sectarian training unit, aimed at teaching staff at Scotland's premier league football teams about the dangers of religious bigotry.
Lawyers last night raised fears that the SFA debacle could result in a deluge of cases involving companies sacking staff over e-mails.
Laura Salmond, of law firm Levy and McRae, said: "Disciplinary action over this sort of thing is becoming increasingly common – not just with e-mails but also with social media like Facebook."
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