§ Mr. Gregory CampbellTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what precise conduct of the employee of the Department of Education in Northern Ireland found guilty in May 2001 of harassing a colleague, was deemed by the Department to have constituted the harassment; and whether this information was made known to the employee at the time the charge was levelled. [185152]
§ Mr. GardinerFollowing a thorough and impartial investigation the individual to whom the hon. Member's question refers was found to have acted in an inappropriate manner during a meeting with a colleague that caused the individual to feel upset and intimidated.
The specific actions that were deemed to be inappropriate conduct were:
- (a)To ignore a member of staff in a distressed condition, and
- (b)To continue with a particular line of questioning and critical personal observations.
The person to whom the hon. Member's question refers was informed of the charge on 21 May 2001, when a formal written statement defining the disciplinary charge was issued, and subsequently on 24 February 2003 in a written response to correspondence from a Member of the Legislative Assembly in Northern Ireland.