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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Nicola Small

NHS racial equality boss fired for racist discrimination against white colleague

An NHS racism czar was sacked for racially bullying a colleague.

Dr Vivienne Lyfar-Cissé got the boot over allegations she told a colleague he was “everything she despised in a white manager”.

She had been working as £100,000-a-year associate director of transformation, tasked with championing racial equality at her NHS trust.

It was also claimed she “bullied and victimised” a female colleague over her sexual orientation.

The sacking came to light last week when biochemist Dr Lyfar-Cissé, 58, lost an unfair dismissal claim against Brighton and Sussex University Hospital NHS Trust.

They had dismissed her in 2017 after 32 years at the trust following a year-long investigation.

It upheld an allegation that she discriminated against a colleague because he was white and harassed him over his race.

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Three allegations over her bullying and victimisation of a woman colleague were also upheld.

A judge at the London South Employment Tribunal backed the trust’s decision to fire the doctor.

But Dr Lyfar-Cissé said: “I am not in a position to comment on the judgement given. I intend to lodge an appeal.”

Inspectors from the Care Quality Commission found that bullying, harassment and discrimination were rife in the trust.

The trust declined to comment on the tribunal outcome.

But it said staff and managers had “worked hard to achieve change” and the commission had noted “a dramatic turnaround in culture”.

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