A senior nursing lecturer has been struck off after he mocked his Sikh colleague for wearing a turban by asking 'where's your hat?' Maurice Slaven repeatedly racially harassed his co-worker over his turban, referring to it as a 'hat' and a 'bandage'.
Even when the university lecturer's offended colleague pointed out it was a turban, bully Slaven hit back 'no, it's a hat'. Slaven, a former child nursing lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambs, also referred to Sikhs as 'you lot', mocked the religion's founder Guru Nanak, and made insensitive comments about Sikhs using 'swords'.
Now, following a Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC] tribunal, Slaven has been stripped of his nursing licence following a 22-year-career. Cambridge-based Slaven is understood to have spent 15 years in the Royal Air Force before qualifying as a children's nurse in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1997.
He racially harassed 'Colleague 1', a senior nursing lecturer, at Anglia Ruskin University for over two years between October 2016 and December 2018, the NMC tribunal heard. The offensive lecturer, who has worked at NHS hospitals across the country, claimed it was ‘banter between friends’.
Referring to Colleague 1's turban, Slaven said 'why aren't you wearing your bandage?' and also asked 'where's your hat?', before insisting 'no, it's a hat' when his co-worker corrected him. Slaven told Colleague 1 'you seem to take all the religious holidays off, and even Christmas and that’s not your holiday’ and ‘you lot, Sikhs, have all these religious holidays'.
When discussing a charity appeal for toys for Sikh children, Slaven said: "What Sikh Toys? Do you mean daggers, knives and swords?" He once stated: "Me and Guru Nanak are best buddies, I know him really well and he said he’ll be dressing up as Father Christmas this year."
He also once remarked 'Indians came to the UK in a banana boat'. Slaven admitted the charges but did not attend the hearing. A tribunal report said: "[The NMC] considered the misconduct to be serious because Mr Slaven was in a position of trust teaching future nursing professionals.
"He was required to be a role model for students and staff, and his behaviour towards Colleague 1 represented a significant departure from the standards expected of a nurse. Mr Slaven held a position of influence over future nurses. Colleague 1 expressed fear for ‘ethnic minority students who could be unfavoured by him in terms of teaching'."
On an online profile for Slaven on the Anglia Ruskin University website, it states one of his research interests is investigating religion and death.
A spokesperson for Anglia Ruskin University said: “ARU is committed to fostering an inclusive culture which promotes equality, values diversity and maintains a supportive working, learning and social environment for all students and staff. The matter was dealt with in accordance with our internal procedures and the individual is no longer employed by ARU.”
