A top Ambulance Victoria official has been suspended from work over allegedly inappropriate behaviour at an awards night.
Ambulance Victoria is assessing the actions of executive director of clinical operations Mick Stephenson.
Ambulance Victoria’s executive director of clinical operations, Mick Stephenson.Credit:Darrian Traynor
“As an emergency health service dedicated to serving and leading the community, Ambulance Victoria sets the highest standards of professionalism for our employees,” Ambulance Victoria chief executive Tony Walker said.
“Two employees have been stood down pending investigation of allegations of inappropriate behaviour at a recent industry event. One of these employees has since left Ambulance Victoria.
“Our investigation is continuing. It is not appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Sources with knowledge of the incident, speaking anonymously to disclose the sensitive circumstances, said Stephenson participated in sexual jokes with an award trophy.
Sources said the behaviour was seen by some as a relatively low-level case of inappropriateness. However, Stephenson is a key leader in the agency and the decision to stand him down occurred amid the backdrop of the organisation’s response to a report into sexism and bullying within the service.
Stephenson was responsible for ambulance operations and high-level MICA paramedics.
The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission’s inquiry found harmful gender stereotypes within Ambulance Victoria suggested elite paramedics needed to be “white, male … confident, stoic and … the family breadwinner”, and this culture prevented women from being accepted at senior levels in the organisation.
The second volume of the probe into the emergency service’s culture found this stereotype resulted in discrimination against women and men who don’t fit it.
“[This stereotype] was seen as particularly relevant to MICA [Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance] and Air Ambulance paramedics, which are elite, male-dominated cohorts within the organisation,” the commission found.
The decision to stand Stephenson down was first reported by the Herald Sun.
Stephenson was named in a Federal Circuit Court case against Ambulance Victoria by former senior staffer Tracey Tobias. She claims she suffered discrimination by Ambulance Victoria management, including Stephenson.
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