Anas Sarwar says racist posts in Sandie Peggie tribunal case are 'horrific'
Anas Sarwar has said racist posts shared by a nurse in a high profile tribunal were 'horrific'.
The Scottish Labour leader also said remarks about bacon and a mosque allegedly said by Sandie Peggie were 'unacceptable'.
The n urse was suspended by NHS Fife after she complained about having to share a changing room with trans medic Dr Beth Upton at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy on Christmas Eve in 2023.
She was placed on special leave after Dr Upton made an allegation of bullying and harassment, and cited concerns about 'patient care'.
Peggie has lodged a claim against NHS Fife and Dr Upton, citing the Equality Act 2010, including sexual harassment, harassment related to a protected belief and indirect discrimination.
The tribunal has heard claims Peggie told colleagues she wanted to post bacon through the letterbox of a local mosque.
Another colleague alleged Peggie shared racist jokes in a WhatsApp chat about the flooding that killed thousands in Pakistan in 2022.
In evidence this week, Peggie denied the bacon remark and said the 'distasteful' jokes about the floods were sent in "dark humour" to friends.
During a trip to President Trump's golf course in Aberdeenshire on Tuesday, Sarwar said: 'If what's been reported is correct then it is unacceptable and it's horrific and we should call it out as such.'
He added: 'But I think it's important to stress that whatever people have agreements or disagreements on, individual things said by any individual, the broader kind of conversation around making sure that our Scottish Government, our health boards, are complying with the Equality Act, is still important and isn't negated. But on those individual comments, of course, completely unacceptable.'
Sarwar said that speaking out against Islamophobia, anti-semitism, misogyny and homophobia cannot just be left to the communities most impacted.
He added: 'So those particular comments are horrific. As you would expect, I don't find them acceptable. And so we should call it out as such.'
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