Jeanette Clewes, the former clinical lead at the Window to the Womb, a leading private baby scan clinic franchise in Wales, has been handed an 18-month interim suspension for racially abusing Tina Dilibe, a Nigerian who once worked as a sonographer at one of the franchise’s clinics in Swansea.

WalesOnline reported on Monday that Clewes was handed the suspension by a panel of Health and Care Professions tribunal last week.

In 2021, Clewes was quoted to have said “These Africans tell lies” after Dilibe had complained about her unpleasant working conditions as a sonographer at the clinic.

In March, FIJ reported how Dilibe was consistently forced to work as a cleaner at the clinic despite her role as a sonographer.

READ ALSO: Racially Abused Nigerian Sonographer Awarded £33,611 in Wales

Dilibe, who was the only medically qualified staff member of the clinic at the time, was made to work both jobs for nine months until she decided to resign in November 2021, when she could no longer cope with the harsh treatments she was constantly subjected to.

When Dilibe complained about being made to do the cleaning job she was not hired to do, the directors of the clinic threatened to sack her and have her deported to Nigeria if she did not do as she was told.

Dilibe also had to work six days, contrary to the agreement that was stated in her offer letter that she would only work five days a week.

Despite receiving positive reviews from clients Dilibe had attended to, Clewes and other superiors at the clinic decided to extend the Nigerian’s probation period without any clear reason.

In early November 2021, the sonographer was further subjected to an unfounded body odour accusation by one of her superiors.

While making the body odour accusation against Dilibe, Clewes was quoted to have said the following:

“You have to be careful; these Africans tell lies. These Africans all have hygiene problems; it is a real problem for us to deal with.”

READ ALSO: To Accommodate ‘One More Passenger’, United Airlines Downgrades Nigerian Family From Business to Economy Class in the US

In the end, Claire Sharp, the employment tribunal judge who presided over the matter, ordered the clinic to pay £33,611 to the Nigerian for racial harassment, direct race discrimination, unauthorised deduction of wages and unpaid annual leave in March.

While delivering a fresh judgement last week, Sharp said it was “astonishing” that Clewes repeated the comments about Africans telling lies and having hygiene problems in court.

The judge added that it was apparent that the clinic boss did not see anything wrong with her views.

Clewes’ 18-month interim suspension is expected to be reviewed in April 2025.