SOCIAL WORKER STRUCK OFF AFTER SEXUAL EMAILS TO COLLEAGUES
Derek Cullen, a 57-year-old social worker, has been disqualified from practice after sending a number of sexually explicit and inappropriate emails to female coworkers, including an 18-year-old.Cullen, who was suspended from his role at Glasgow City Council after nearly four decades of service, argued that the emails were simply intended as "office banter," despite evidence suggesting they caused considerable upset.
The conduct panel, led by Kevin Culloch, characterized the emails as inappropriate, discriminatory, sexual, and profane, and stated, "You failed to meet the standards required of a social services worker." Cullen also sent similar inappropriate messages to a male colleague and used his council email account to send sexual content to an external recipient.
During a hearing in Dundee, Cullen pleaded with the Scottish Social Services Council not to remove him from the professional register, hoping to find employment with another local authority, but senior officials informed him that there was no way for him to return.
Cullen accepted responsibility for the emails and expressed regret for the upset they caused, yet the panel ultimately upheld his removal from the register, highlighting the seriousness of his misconduct.
