'Whistle-blowing cost me my job' - Hull City Council museums worker
A FORMER senior museum attendant says whistle-blowing has cost him his job.
Tony Steventon claims officials at Hull City Council ignored widespread and long-standing concerns among staff over the running of the authority's museums service.
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Long-standing concerns: Former Hull museums worker Tony Steventon.
Instead, he was sacked after detailing some of them in an email sent to councillors, the council's then chief executive Nicola Yates and the Mail.
The allegations included:
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• A culture of bullying, victimisation and cronyism in the museums service.
• Systematic thefts by some staff from exhibition entry fees and donation boxes.
• The disappearance of solid gold South African krugerrands from Wilberforce House, as well as other items from the city's museums collection.
• Hardcore pornography openly copied and sold by staff in council premises.
• Thousands of Roman mosaic pieces and coins being dumped in the River Hull.
• A failure to properly investigate claims of thefts and sexual assaults involving museum staff.
Mr Steventon, 45, said; "The council's whistle-blower's policy is not worth the paper it is written on.
"I should know because I tried to use it to raise issues that I had personally seen and many others that other staff had told me about.
"It quickly became apparent to me the council was not interested in what I was saying about what had gone on.
"Instead, it just provided an excuse for a whitewash because certain people wanted my head on a plate."
A former soldier and Gulf War veteran, Mr Steventon also worked as a police officer before joining the museums service in 2006.
He says a series of issues raised by him about the running of the service over the years were either ignored or turned into unfounded grievance complaints against him.
He was initially suspended in December 2011 and was subsequently sacked for bringing the council into disrepute for sending what the authority regarded as a "malicious" email.
At the time of his suspension he had been off work for several months with stress, anxiety and depression, caused, he says, by bullying and intimidation.
An appeal against dismissal was recently rejected by a panel of councillors despite Mr Steventon producing a number of statements from staff supporting his claims.
Details of his allegations contained in the email have not been made public until now.
He said: "My email was in no way malicious.
"It was written to seek justice for what I had been through and the for the front- of-house staff who have also been targeted by a series of personal vendettas.
"I sent the email to a few Labour councillors and Nicola Yates in the belief they would finally do something to assist all of us. How wrong I was.
"I also copied the email to the Mail as a last-ditch attempt to get justice as I believe the taxpayers of the city have a right to know the true facts of the deceit, lies, corruption and complicity by the management in failing to act on reports made by senior supervisors on very serious incidents like theft when it is their money being stolen."
Mr Steventon said he now intends to challenge his dismissal at an employment tribunal.
In a statement, the city council said: "Mr Steventon's allegations have been fully and thoroughly investigated by the council and Humberside Police and no evidence could be found to substantiate any of the allegations he has made."
37 Comments
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by nohopers
Tuesday, April 02 2013, 7:19PM
“whistle blowing is a management tick box exercise. We have a "confidential" whistle blowing system at work. The trouble is that the managers all rush into the I.T. section to find out who submitted it. Once that happens the individuals card is well and truely marked.”
by janetmabey
Monday, March 18 2013, 7:40PM
“My husband had the very same thing. He worked in a different area where he had an accident after telling his supervisor that there was accident waiting to happen and which was remedied shortly after his accident. He attended physio and councelling but in 2006 he was laid off after being bullied which caused stress & depression. The bully was merely moved to another area. My husband has not been the same man since & I had to give up my job in May last year as he was having attacks (suspected Epilesy) in order to look after him. We now live on benefits after working all our lives. So for those who have never been through anything like this, it affects more than one person but the bully goes on. We are right behind you Mr Stevenson.”
by facedontfit
Monday, March 18 2013, 8:27AM
“Good on you Mr Steventon - this country and especially this city, needs more upstanding and moral citizens like yourself. Well done sir!!!!!!!!!!!”
by spiderboy
Monday, March 18 2013, 8:08AM
“IT GOES ON ALL OVER-PROBLEM IS PROVING IT- YOU KNOW ITS THERE, OTHERS KNOW ITS THERE, LITTLE THINGS THAT CANT BE PROVED AND HERE IS AN INSTANCE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEM OF ALL , THE HEIRACHY TURN A BLIND EYE TO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
by lilachair20
Sunday, March 17 2013, 3:26PM
“Seriously!! Investigated genuinely? If it had been investigated as stated by the council then they would have found the thief's who are still working there. Corrupt council as usual. I would say to any doubters of Mr Steventon's allegations get your facts straight before you are so quick to side with a corrupt organisation of which I term loosely. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but please be sure you have something substantial to back it up with like mr Steventon has! His making this public is in the interest of the public who keep these places open. If you don't mind lining the pockets of people who are going to commit these offences and then try to cover it up then go ahead, you must have money to burn”
by oldgoldone
Sunday, March 17 2013, 2:28PM
“A most interesting story. It may be that a certain national journal, published fortnightly will be interested in the machinations of which Hull City Council has been accused.”
by oldgoldone
Sunday, March 17 2013, 2:23PM
“Hmm... This worrying tale may prove of some interest to the 'Private Eye', for its 'Rotten Boroughs' page. We shall see.”
by killer127
Sunday, March 17 2013, 1:23PM
“And this is the same council that some want running the KC Stadium, the only successful project the council has every undertaken, and the only reason its stays open and in good shape is because they dont run it. They cant be trusted, nearly every council owned or run establishment is a shambles, this problem with the museums doesn't to surprise me in the slightest, and the bullying of a respectable man by the Stasi doesn't either, you are either with them or will suffer the consequences.”
by Logicisking
Sunday, March 17 2013, 12:16PM
“Its about time external auditors went in across the public sector and rooted out some of the disgusting practices of the management/executive. Managers who seek to intimidate and bully staff out of persuing genuine concerns should be dismissed and stripped of any accrued pension. Zero tolerance.”
by SPBlakeney
Sunday, March 17 2013, 12:17AM
“Given the history of some Hull councillors this report is hardly surprising. Now its in the public domain maybe some action will be taken. The Govt has said NHS whistle blowers are welcome to mention problems-Hull council employees should do the same, and everyones 100% certain theres more of the same going on.”