By Gemma Meredith and Fran Singh
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City’s dean of students, Dr Malcolm Cross has admitted to innapropriate behaviour, including offering oral sex to a colleague and gesturing towards his crotch at a business dinner.

A hearing conducted by the Health Professions Council (HPC) conlcluded that Cross made lewd sexual suggestions to his male colleage and was also rude and condescending to a female colleague but cleared him of professional misconduct.

During the two-day hearing which began on March 15, colleague Owen Hughes, who is also an alumnus of City, gave evidence against his former lecturer.  Molly Ross, from the British Psychological Society (BPS) and another colleague Simon Parritt, also gave evidence.

pic: http://www.hpc-uk.org/

Cross is a council member of the HPC, which held the hearing to determining his fitness to practice as a psychologist. The details were removed from the HPC website upon Cross’ request; however, the Inquirer has obtained the transcript from the hearing.

The hearing, which began on March 15, is in relation to an evening in June 2009 where a meeting and dinner took place prior to a BPS accreditation visit to the University of West England in which Cross was acting as chair.

Both Hughes and Ross alleged that Cross was drunk when he arrived at the meeting and encouraged colleagues to cut the meeting short before suggesting they move on to a restuarant. Hughes says that during dinner Cross was sexually suggestive toward waiting staff and discussed his troubled personal life.

Hughes told the hearing: “He told me that he loved me and asked me to kiss him repeatedly and attempted to kiss me.” Hughes says that Cross then offered him oral sex before leaning back in his chair and rubbing his crotch.  Mr Hughes said: “It made me feel very uncomfortable. It was clear that his behaviour was very unprofessional.”

Molly Ross, from the British Psychological Society, said Cross also threatened to expose himself when Hughes spurned his advances. She said “as both the night and his drunkeness progressed Cross became more and more sexually innapropriate.”

Another colleague, Simon Parritt, was also subject to   Cross’ advances. He also attempted to kiss Parritt and says Cross rubbed his inner thigh. Parritt tried to laugh off his behaviour but his wife, who was also present, was “not impressed”.

Cross was also accused by all present of being “belittling and picking on” Ross throughout the night. Hughes said: “He constantly insinuated that Molly Ross was being a ‘spoilsport’ and made a big show of paying for the wine himself as Molly, quite rightly, had to keep an eye on the BPS budget.”

David Tyme, the solicitor acting on behalf of Cross commented during the case: “It is quite clear than on balance this was a bad joke gone wrong and he overstepped the mark.” Cross apologised to Molly Ross and argued his actions were lighthearted and not meant to be threatning.

The panel agreed that Cross had been rude and condescending towards Ross, had been inebriated, had made lewd gesture towards his crotch and made reference to oral sex. They believed it was an isolated incident, and although his behaviour was innapropriate his fitness to practice as a psychologist was not impaired.

Hughes agreed, saying “Cross appeared sober, although he smelled of vomit and stale alcohol. He performed perfectly well.”

Cross has declined to comment  further on the situation. Beverly Alton,  press officer for City University said: “Malcolm Cross underwent an HPC hearing relating to an alleged incident June 2009, which took place away from the University. The hearing concluded the allegation was not well founded.”