Sport Aberdeen CEO Dismissed After Refusing Demotion
Sport Aberdeen announced the dismissal of its chief executive, Keith Heslop, after he declined to accept a demotion following an independent investigation into his conduct.
The allegations leading to Heslop's dismissal were revealed publicly for the first time during an employment tribunal hearing.
Heslop was replaced on an interim basis in November last year and formally dismissed the following month, though the charity initially did not disclose the reasons behind this decision.
Heslop contends that his suspension was unlawful and that his dismissal was unfair. He is seeking compensation and reinstatement as CEO of the charity.
Sport Aberdeen operates over 30 leisure and sports venues and receives millions of pounds in public funding annually from Aberdeen City Council.
Details of Allegations and Investigation
The tribunal was informed of three allegations against Heslop. Documents submitted to the tribunal, reviewed by BBC Scotland News, show that Heslop questioned the independence of the investigating officer due to her previous professional relationship with Sport Aberdeen chairman Tony Dawson.
The first allegation stated that Heslop failed to adhere to Sport Aberdeen's disciplinary procedures in relation to an employee accused of using racist and homophobic language. This was determined to be serious misconduct.
The second allegation, which was partially upheld, involved Heslop's failure to comply with requirements to declare gifts, hospitality, and conflicts of interest.
The third allegation, concerning inappropriate behavior at a work-related Christmas party in December 2024, was not upheld.
The independent investigator recommended that Heslop be demoted from his role as chief executive officer, issued a final written warning, and receive additional training.
However, after Heslop refused the demotion, the decision was made to dismiss him.
Legal Challenges and Responses
Heslop's legal representative, Michael Briggs, questioned the timing of the investigation by Sport Aberdeen, suggesting it was suspiciously initiated after Heslop raised concerns about a £105,000 payment to outgoing managing director Alistair Robertson, which had not been scrutinized by the board.
"All the allegations were by this point somewhat historic ... there doesn't appear to be any plausible explanation for why the investigation was started at this particular time."
Sport Aberdeen stated that the payment to Robertson was fully and transparently disclosed.
Colin McDevitt, representing Sport Aberdeen legally, denied that Heslop's dismissal was related to whistleblowing. He emphasized that grievance and disciplinary procedures were reviewed by five independent individuals.
"We have got independent people littered throughout this who make their decisions in an unadulterated, not leant upon, way with full autonomy to make whichever decision they wanted to make."
Regulatory Oversight and Next Steps
Earlier this year, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) expressed concerns about Sport Aberdeen and placed the organization under formal investigation.
The employment judge will provide a written decision on whether Heslop should be reinstated as chief executive officer at Sport Aberdeen, pending a full tribunal hearing.
