Sacked nurse tried to claim kisses were part of his culture

A NURSE sacked for sexual harassment, claimed kisses and hugs were part of his culture.

Married Leonard Marana attempted to kiss a 20 year old healthcare assistant on the lips ‘numerous times’.

But he sued the NHS for race discrimination by claiming hugging and kissing was part of his Filipino culture.

At the time of the incidents he was a theatre practitioner at Hospital of St Cross, which is part of University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust.

An employment tribunal in Birmingham heard he offered to give her a massage but ended up touching her back side.

Six allegations were investigated by the hospital, and Marana told them he greeted his team by hugging and kissing them on the cheek which was ‘a cultural norm’.

He was sacked for gross misconduct due to his ‘pattern of inappropriate and unwanted behaviour’.

Marana had a ‘friendly’ and ‘jokey’ relationship with an apprentice healthcare assistant, the hearing was told. But in 2019, the woman, who looked ‘very pale’ and ‘stressed’, cried as she told another colleague: “I can’t stand it anymore.”

The panel heard Marana had tried to kiss her in a carpark, cupboard and small waiting area where she felt ‘trapped’.

Marana claimed it was ‘all friendship’ and he offered to apologise.

Two months later, he was sacked for gross misconduct after bosses concluded he had ‘acted in a sexual way and his conduct was unwelcome and caused distress’.

Marana agreed his behaviour had ‘overstepped the line’ but he appealed as he felt firing him was ‘too harsh’, arguing he was a married man and he was taking medication that ‘lowered his libido’.

But his appeal was denied.

He took the NHS to the tribunal claiming unfair dismissal and race discrimination.

But the panel overruled him as it said he was not in trouble for his traditions but for trying to kiss a colleague and touch her bottom.