Fourteen council staff have been suspended ahead of claims they sent one another racist e-mails, it emerged yesterday.
Lancashire County Council has suspended the employees, who work in several different departments, ahead of disciplinary proceedings about offensive and inappropriate e-mails allegedly making anti-semitic remarks. If found guilty of gross misconduct the staff could be sacked.
In a letter sent to councillors, seen by the Lancashire Telegraph, chief executive Ged Fitzgerald said the staff had been suspended for “inappropriate e-mail use” and promised a “thorough and formal investigation”.
He added that the suspensions, which were imposed last Thursday, were normal HR practice for such serious incidents, and warned staff: “Investigations of this nature may result in disciplinary action or in some cases termination of employment.”
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Unite union said it had never seen so many people suspended all at once.
The investigation will begin today when staff return to work after the bank holiday weekend.
