November 9th 2024.
Stephen Krikler, a 68-year-old man and Chief of Surgery at Kettering General Hospital, recently lost his job after making a series of "jokes" that were deemed inappropriate. One of these instances involved him making a comment to a female colleague about her having six children, saying "blimey, you must be a bit of a goer." He believed that these jokes would help to break down the hierarchical barriers between himself and the junior staff members.
During a group discussion, Stephen noticed that one of his female colleagues, known as Ms A, was not wearing tights due to the warm weather. He then proceeded to "look her up and down" and make a comment about her legs, saying "you've got your legs out. Seeing your legs like that reminds me of a t-shirt I once owned. It said 'Nice legs, what time do they open?'" Later on, when Ms A mentioned her large family, Stephen responded with "don't you have a TV? You need to get a new hobby." In another exchange, when Ms A called him about a patient, he made a comment about her name coming up on his phone while he was discussing perineal massage cream.
After these incidents, Ms A reported Stephen's behavior to the medical director at the hospital, stating that she felt uncomfortable and demeaned by his jokes and ogling. It was discovered that this was not the first time Stephen had gotten into trouble for making inappropriate comments, as he had previously upset female colleagues by joking about giving them staff hugs. One colleague even gave him feedback during an appraisal meeting, saying "sometimes in meetings, you maybe need to leave the jokes out!"
In April of last year, Stephen was suspended from his duties for five months after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. However, at a review hearing last month, he was allowed to return to medical practice. He was not present at the hearing, but he did provide a written statement apologizing for his behavior and explaining the various professional boundaries courses he had taken.
It was found that Stephen's actions constituted sexual harassment, as he engaged in unwanted sexual conduct that violated Ms A's dignity and created an offensive environment for her. Ms A testified at the hearing, saying that after introducing herself and mentioning her large family, Stephen made the comment "blimey, you must be a bit of a goer" and implied that she was very sexually active. She also recalled feeling shocked and uncomfortable when he commented on her legs, and she walked away feeling embarrassed and offended.
In his statement, Stephen tried to defend his actions by claiming that Ms A had a "ribald" sense of humor and that he may have made a comment about her being busy, but he denied making any reference to her being sexually active. He also stated that he used humor to "flatten the hierarchy" and relieve tension in the workplace. However, in a follow-up statement, he acknowledged that he may have unintentionally caused upset and that it was his responsibility to improve his awareness of potential offense.
Despite his initial suspension, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service decided to revoke it, stating that Stephen's written reflection showed deepened and widened insight since April. They deemed him safe to resume unrestricted practice and believed that the risk of repetition was now negligible. They also noted that he had reflected on his misconduct, acknowledged his failings, and understood the impact of his behavior on Ms A.
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