A SCOTTISH university has paused work with the national heritage body currently embroiled in a racism row, the Sunday National can reveal.
Glasgow University has paused work on a project with Heritage Environment Scotland (HES) after one of its top directors was accused of racism.
We revealed previously how HES operations director Craig Mearns had admitted during an internal probe to having referred to tourists as “chocolates” while at Edinburgh Castle, one of the attractions the body manages.
Now it can be revealed that a project Glasgow University was planning with HES has been put on ice over the revelations.
A source at the organisation told the Sunday National that the higher education institution stopped a “major partnership project with us on empire and slavery” after Mearns’s comments came to light.
A spokesperson for the heritage body said: “We are aware of the concerns raised by The University of Glasgow and take them seriously. We remain committed to maintaining a respectful, inclusive, and safe environment for all staff, partners, and stakeholders. We value our relationship with the University of Glasgow very highly and regret any disruption to our collaborative work.”
Mearns (above) kept his £115,000 to £120,000 per year post at HES despite staff outcry.
It can also be revealed that bosses at the heritage body addressed workers’ complaints and told them to contact its “wellbeing team” for “guidance”.
Alison Turnbull, HES’s director of external relations, wrote to staff last week and said it had been “unsettling” for those employed by the heritage organisation to see it “featured so prominently in the media, especially when the coverage puts the organisation in a negative light”.
Turnbull added: “This kind of attention can have a real emotional impact on colleagues, and it’s only natural that it raises questions and concerns about where we stand as an organisation on the matters being raised around racism – colleagues have every right to seek clarity and reassurance.
“As you know, I’m not able to comment on individual personnel matters, but I want to be clear that our commitment to building and maintaining a safe, secure and inclusive culture at HES has not changed. However, I do want to acknowledge that impact directly on all of us.”
She admitted that the row “could affect our work and the wellbeing of our colleagues”, adding: “I know this moment is deeply significant to not only me, but to many of our colleagues, especially those from multi-cultural communities. Your lived experiences enrich our organisation in countless ways."
Tunbull said that management would be meeting with “staff forums in the coming days”, including HES’s global diversity network and referred employees to “reach out” to staff networks or the wellbeing team for “guidance”.
However, one member of staff said that while Turnbull’s message “was done with good intentions”, there was “continued and growing anger” at HES over the situation.
A source at HES told the Sunday National: “Many staff have raised concerns with senior managers, HR and trade unions but it seems like nothing has happened – he is going nowhere.”
She added: “Alison chaired a regular meeting of the Global Diversity Network this week, which was very hard to listen to, and there were many upset staff. Many of us have experienced racism in our lives – for it to happen at work from a director who is then let off with it is deeply insulting.
“Our CEO has a lot to answer for. Anyone else would have been sacked for gross misconduct. How could she think this was OK?”
The source said that other workers “simply do not understand” why Mearns’s position at HES is continuing, adding: “People don’t want to deal with him, and he is acting like nothing has happened, which makes it worse.
“His own colleagues are either shunning him or avoiding him.
“Next Tuesday, there will be a regular staff Q&A session with ELT online. How can he possibly sit there when hundreds of staff are offended as they are?”
A HES spokesperson added: “We are reflecting on recent events and understand the importance of building trust with our partners. There is no place for racism at Historic Environment Scotland. Our values are grounded in equity, inclusion, and respect, and we continue to work towards ensuring that these principles are reflected in everything we do.”
Glasgow University declined to comment.
