Nursing lecturer struck off register after persistently mocking Sikh colleague's religion and turban

A senior university nursing lecturer has been struck off the register for racially harassing and bullying his Sikh colleague by mocking his turban and religion at work.
Maurice Slaven has been stripped of his nursing licence by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) -- ending a 22-year career – following a virtual meeting by the fitness to practise committee of the NMC.
The panel determined that Slaven’s actions fell seriously short of the conduct and standards expected of a nurse and amounted to misconduct and breach of the code.
Slaven was a senior lecturer in nursing at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge when he was found to have racially harassed and bullied a fellow Sikh senior nursing lecturer there, who made a referral to the NMC about Slaven’s fitness to practise, expressing fear for "ethnic minority students who could be un-favoured by him in terms of teaching".
The NMC decision states that Slaven admitted to telling a Sikh colleague that “Indians came to the UK in a banana boat”. He also said: “You seem to take all the religious holidays off…and even Christmas and that’s not your holiday. You lot, Sikhs, have all these religious holidays.”
He also repeatedly asked him “Where’s your bandage” and where his “hat” was.
When the Sikh lecturer pointed out that it was not a ‘hat’ but a ‘turban’, Slaven responded with: “No, it’s a hat.”
Slaven told the Sikh colleague that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was “his best mate” and that “he’ll be dressing up as Father Christmas this year”.
When the Sikh lecturer was discussing a charity Sikh toy appeal he had organized, Slaven asked, “What Sikh toys? Do you mean daggers, knives and swords?" the decision outlines.
Slaven admitted to all the charges. The panel did not accept Slaven’s explanation that his comments were meant as “banter between friends”, and that at the time, he did not realize the Sikh lecturer was offended by them. Instead the panel noted that he went on to repeat his offensive conduct, even after completing equality and diversity training.
The NMC considered the misconduct to be serious because 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 his Sikh colleague represented a significant departure from the standards expected of a registered nurse and was fundamentally incompatible with him remaining on the register.