Christian Therapist Disciplined for “Bullying” Muslim Colleague

A Christian occupational therapist was disciplined for “bullying” a Muslim colleague, and is now making a legal challenge against the NHS.

Victoria Wasteney, a 37-year-old Head of Occupational Therapy at the East London NHS Trust, was summarily suspended with full pay for nine months and is forbidden to discuss her faith at work. The NHS also gave her a formal warning that will remain on her record for one year.

Wasteney maintains that she was always respectful of her colleague and never spoke of her faith unless the woman invited it in their conversations.

“One of the earliest conversations I can recall was one in which she said she had just moved to London. She felt that God had a real plan and a purpose for her,” said Wasteney, who is from Essex. Wasteney was “very cautious because our environment is such that these things can be misconstrued and, with her being from a different faith background, I was mindful of being respectful of that,” Wasteney told the Daily Telegraph.

Eight complaints were originally brought against Wasteney, three of which she was eventually charged for: inviting her colleague to her church events, praying with her colleague, and giving her coworker a book that tells the story of a Muslim woman who converts to Christianity.

Wasteney first invited her colleague to a church event when she found out the coworker was interested in the anti-trafficking work that her church does. After that, she invited her Muslim colleague to other church events.

When her colleague was going to the hospital for treatment, Wasteney gave her the book about a Muslim conversion. She had never read it, but a friend recommended it to her.

“Because we had had these conversations it did not seem abnormal. It certainly was not an attempt to convert her to Christianity, as it was put to me later.”

Later, the Muslim coworker tearfully came to Wasteney’s office seeking advice, because she had health issues and problems at home that she wanted to discuss.

I said to her that she had strong faith and she should draw on that faith,” said Wasteney.

I said ‘Pray!’ She told me she could not pray, so I replied ‘Maybe I can pray for you?’ And she said ‘OK’.

I asked if I could put my hand on her knee, and she said yes. I don’t know if I said ‘Lord’ or ‘God’ but I said what I thought was the most neutral. Then I said ‘I trust that You will bring peace and You will bring healing.’

She affirmed that she would have stopped praying if she believed her colleague was distressed in any way. She says that they openly discussed their respective faiths and that the Complainant “welcomed” such conversations.

Four months later, the formal complaint against Wasteney was made by her Muslim colleague on 13 June 2013, which included accusations of bullying and harassment. The next day she was called before the Associate Director of Therapies and immediately suspended while the investigation was carried out.

A February hearing upheld the three previously-mentioned charges of misconduct.

“I fear I may have been entrapped by a colleague who encouraged me to discuss my faith, who willingly agreed that I could pray for her and who even accepted an invitation to a church charity event,” she says.

“For nine months I was made to feel I was a danger to my colleagues and the public despite no evidence of wrong-doing. I had email evidence clearly showing the Complainant wanted to come to my charity church event and I only put my hand on her knee in friendship after asking her permission while I prayed for her,” she insists.

Wasteney challenged the NHS in court because she believes the NHS is “stifling ordinary conversations about faith.”

Throughout all of this, Wasteney has tried to show the importance of being tolerant to all religions and not to discriminate against Christians.

“I believe in tolerance for everyone and that is why I am challenging what has happened to me.”

She finds it hard to believe that after all her faithful service to the Trust they are so willing to bring charges against her.

“I’ve had an unblemished 15 year career and suddenly I am confronted with vague and unclear complaints by the Associate Director. I didn’t receive a written complaint until four months later. Now my file shows a nine-month suspension and a Final Written Warning for simply responding in a loving and compassionate way to a young colleague who seemed genuinely interested in talking about my faith as a Christian,” she says.

Wasteney believes the trust took a “one-sided, politically correct decision to punish her despite the fact that the complainant had initiated discussions about faith and never complained to her personally.”

In addition, Wasteney said that Christian groups must work around managerial arrangements in the Trust, whereas joint staff and Muslim fellowship meetings are facilitated by the Trust regardless of staffing issues.

“There is undoubtedly a pattern of inequality of treatment of Christians and Muslims in the NHS. Regardless of allocated break times, Muslim staff can pray five times a day, which I am not objecting to, but Christians are often denied time off on Sundays or permission to take breaks during their lunchtime for prayer or religious worship. However, I never expected to be persecuted by the very Trust I have been dedicated to over the past seven years.”

She is appealing to the 2010 Equality Act, and is being represented by Human Rights barrister Paul Diamond through Christian Legal Centre.

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, argues that Wasteney’s case indicates a move away from the very values on which the NHS was built.

“The NHS was founded and inspired by Christian principles and precepts. Such heritage meant that the NHS was a model of how to deliver health care across the world; a place of safety, care, freedom and flourishing with a staff inspired by their chosen career,” she has said in a statement.

“Sadly, this case, along with others, demonstrates that today’s climate in the NHS is increasingly dominated by a suffocating liberal agenda that chooses to bend over backwards to accommodate certain beliefs but punishes the Christian.”

Find out how to join Christian Voice and stand up for the King of kings (clicking on the link below does not commit you to join)

Please note that persons wishing to comment on this story must enter a valid email address. Comments from persons leaving fictitious email addresses will be trashed.