ANOTHER sectarian e-mail row has erupted over messages allegedly circulated at the Scottish Football Association.
Four
staff sacked for passing a previous e-mail about the Pope will now
appeal against the decision and claim their bosses laughed at an even
more offensive message.
A video clip, from a US comedy website, features a boy who suffers a sex attack by a priest but is then protected by "Priest Off" spray.
The
sacked staff will argue at an appeal on Wednesday at Hampden that there
were no consequences for the second e-mail circulated around the SFA,
including to two senior managers.
Reports yesterday said the
staff "believe they have been treated unfairly" because the second
e-mail went round other staff "with no consequences". The second e-mail
could be the "main argument" in appealing against their dismissals.
The
SFA last night said they had no comment to make on the matter. A
spokesman for the GMB union, which is representing three of the workers,
was not available for comment last night.
Secretary Amanda
McDonald, audio-visual technician Tim Berridge, mailroom manager Bob
Bryan and administrative assistant Marco McIntyre were dismissed from
the SFA last month along with referees' chief Hugh Dallas. At the time,
the Catholic Church in Scotland called for Mr Dallas's dismissal over
e-mails sent outwith the SFA about the Pope's visit to Scotland in
September, branding him a danger to children. Mr Dallas could hear as
early as today if his own appeal was successful.
The new web clip
was made by comedy website National Banana which shows a boy returning
from a Catholic camp where he has been abused by a priest. His parents
laugh at the idea of reporting the abuse to church authorities because
of their reputation for covering up abuse.
The video then turns
to a spoof TV advert for the spray, which "works just like insect
spray". After being sprayed with Priest Off, the child repels the
clergy. The clip ends with a priest being struck by a lightning bolt.
It
was also reported yesterday that the sacked members of staff may have
evidence of similar material joking about the abuse of children by
priests being passed between top SFA officials.
A source said:
"They're not going away quietly. They believe that there is serious
hypocrisy in the way they have been treated. They believe their
punishment didn't fit the 'crime'.
They want their jobs back."
Mr
Dallas was sacked after an internal investigation found the 53-year-old
head of referee development had sent an e-mail with no text but an
image attachment of a school crossing sign with a silhouette of an adult
holding a child's hand and the word "caution". Beneath the road sign was a reference to the Pope's arrival in Scotland.
Mr
Dallas had also been under pressure in the weeks running up to the
e-mail scandal following criticism of match officials from factions
within Scottish football.
SFA president George Peat said at the time of the dismissals: "I don't know if people have gone or not - that is possible.
"Some
people have told me five have left, but I don't know how many have gone
and who they might be. I don't want to get involved."
Last
night, a spokesman for the Catholic Church in Scotland said: "It's
important an employer who has an acceptable use policy applies it
consistently. You can't have one rule for one group and a different rule
for others."
Lawyers said more employers are putting policies
in place regarding forwarding questionable e-mails, making it a
disciplinary offence. Solicitor Austin Lafferty said: "People could be
breaking their contract of employment, even if it's an innocent joke in
good taste, because it's wasting time."
Laura Salmond, of
Glasgow solicitors Levy & McRae, added: "People need to be aware of
the potential consequences of their actions. If anyone receives an
e-mail they're not sure about, they should bring it to the attention of
management or delete it."
SIC: TSM/UK