George Eduard Stae, a nurse at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, has avoided suspension after posting vomiting and nauseated face emojis on an LGBTQ+ Pride Facebook advert. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel ruled his actions were misconduct but decided a caution order was sufficient.
Incident on International Children's Day
The comment was made on June 1, 2021, International Children's Day, on a Facebook post that included a picture of a man wearing high-heeled shoes and head jewellery. Stae, who described himself as a 'keyboard warrior' during the hearing, said he commented 10 emojis because he 'did not like how Pride appeared to have taken over Facebook on International Children's Day'.
In an informal meeting with his trust, Stae admitted he found the advert 'disturbing'. He later told the panel he was 'very ashamed' of his behaviour, adding: 'It was brought to my attention at work and I was very ashamed of my behaviour, especially because I have many friends and colleagues that have a different sexual orientation than me and I never had an issue with that.'
Additional Allegations Withdrawn
Separate allegations that Stae told a doctor 'I will kill you' and called him a 'f****** Muslim' on November 27, 2022, were withdrawn by the NMC. The panel ruled that hearsay evidence from the doctor was inadmissible, so those charges could not proceed.
Panel Ruling and Sanction
The panel found Stae's Facebook comment was 'prejudicial and discriminatory' towards people based on their sexuality and/or gender identity, constituting misconduct. However, they rejected the NMC's argument for a six-month suspension, calling it 'wholly disproportionate'. Instead, they imposed a 12-month caution order on Friday, which will be recorded on the register to mark that the behaviour was unacceptable and must not be repeated.
Stae's case highlights the professional consequences of social media conduct for healthcare workers. The NMC's decision reflects a balance between accountability and proportionality, though it has sparked debate about consistency in sanctions for discriminatory behaviour.
