RSPB mutiny after veteran manager sacked over unfounded claims he treated Syrian refugee colleague 'like a slave'
4 November 2024, 06:44 | Updated: 4 November 2024, 08:23
The RSPB has seen a mass exodus of volunteers and researchers after a manager with decades of experience was sacked over unfounded claims he treated a Syrian colleague 'like a slave'.
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Described as a “truly devoted” manager, Dr Paul Morrison, 72, led a team on a Northumberland bird nesting island before being sacked by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) over a string of unfounded allegations.
The claims saw the manager, who was based on Coquet Island for 38 years up until his departure, accused of treating colleague Dr Ibrahim Alfarwi like a "modern-day slave".
Dr Alfarwi was then appointed as the new manager, resulting in an angry backlash from colleagues.
In addition to the "slave" claims, Dr Morrison was also accused of ignoring safety protocols following a bird flu outbreak on the island.
Described as a "truly devoted" worker by colleagues, RSPB volunteers say the academic treated his team "like family".
The bird charity eventually reached a settlement with Dr Morrison for an undisclosed amount following the row - but not before the bird charity saw a mass exodus of volunteers and researchers in protest.
Mr Morrison, who continues to deny the claims, was reportedly paid damages following a lengthy legal battle with the bird charity.
They also falsely accused him of drinking while operating heavy machinery.
The case has led one RSPB volunteer to accuse the charity of pushing a "diversity agenda" by replacing a "privileged old English white man", according to The Telegraph.
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Conservative peer Lord Ridley, who regularly visits the island, was reportedly left “shocked” at Dr Morrison's treatment by the charity.
Lord Ridley said: "For us Northumbrians, the thriving bird colony on Coquet Island is a very special place: roseate terns breed nowhere else in Britain and Paul Morrison had found ways to increase their numbers fivefold, a remarkable achievement.
"When I was a trustee of the island's owners, I was able to visit the island annually and I am shocked by the way Paul has been treated."
Dr Morrison, a life member of the RSPB for 40 years, said: “They embarked on investigating me for a series of what they considered unacceptable behaviours, and when one allegation was disproved, along came the next one.”
The case saw Dr Morrison called into a meeting with the charity in September 2022.
Eider Duck Day 2022 - Paul Morrison, RSPB Coquet Island
There he was told by RSPB bosses that he had been working illegal hours and was accused of keeping Dr Alfarwi trapped on the island.
Dr Alfarwi claimed he had not had a day off in nearly two months.
The Syrian manager's claims coincided with an outbreak of avian flu on the island, which had already left 5,000 birds dead as volunteers struggled to deal with an “insurmountable” workload.
The weather was also said to be challenging, making RSPB workers' journeys to the mainland incredibly difficult.
The RSPB accused Dr Morrison of being “controlling, coercive and manipulative”.
They also said he treated his job like a hobby, “making those around him do a lot of the heavy lifting.”
An investigation was launched in September 2022, in which Dr Morrison offered to make any changes necessary.
However, he was later suspended for failing to help Dr Alfarwi leave the island at a specified time.
By the following January, the RSPB had begun a second disciplinary process against Dr Morrison, claiming he had not followed correct bird flu procedures.
One volunteer, Hilary Brooker-Carey, who worked on Coquet Island for more than 30 years, told The Telegraph that she found the accusations “hard to believe”.
“The Coquet team was strong and close and was often referred to as the ‘Coquet family’ because of the time and commitment that Paul put into the team and his work on the island,” she said.
“The accusations … were so obviously untrue. When I heard of the investigation and the severity of it, I decided that I could no longer be a volunteer on Coquet Island. My trust in the RSPB has completely vanished.”
