Social worker suspended after racially abusing traffic warden

A social worker who shouted racist abuse at a traffic warden has been suspended from the register for two years.

Sarah Croft-Wusu began an argument with the warden in Luton in July 2008 after he signalled to her to move her car from a restricted area, the General Social Care Council found.

She was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment at Luton Magistrates Court, Bedfordshire, in July 2009.

Croft-Wusu, who did not attend the GSCC’s conduct hearing, said in correspondence that the traffic warden had behaved in a “discriminatory fashion” towards her, but offered no explanation. She also said she was experiencing pain, which may have been a factor in her behaviour.

However, she did not accept she was behaving badly by parking on yellow lines and in a loading/unloading bay and she denied using a racist insult during the argument.

The GSCC’s conduct committee took into account Croft-Wusu’s previously unblemished record and accepted the incident had not been premeditated.

However, it was “disappointed” that Croft-Wusu had not apologised for her behaviour, adding that she had demonstrated “a lack of respect for others and lack of self-control”.

It decided to suspend Croft-Wusu from the register for two years. “This sanction indicates to Ms Croft-Wusu the seriousness of her behaviour and the need to change it.”

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