A taxpayer-funded charity that runs a prestigious art school in Rome has been accused of failing in its duty of care after allegations of mismanagement, a “toxic” working environment and unfair working practices.
The British School at Rome (BSR) launched an inquiry after 24 staff, former employees and alumni complained about the charity’s operations in April 2020 to its trustees. It was alleged that staff were suffering “physical and mental health issues” because of poor working conditions.
It is alleged a “grievance panel” set up by the charity’s trustees to investigate the claims was suspended before it reported its findings. The charity said last week it had conducted a “comprehensive, independent and confidential” investigation.
BSR was established in 1901 and is housed in a neoclassical building in Rome designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. Alumni include Turner prize winners Elizabeth Price and Mark Wallinger. It receives more than half of its funding from the British Academy, which is supported by a grant from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
A two-page complaint written in April 2020 was sent to the charity’s council, whose members are its trustees. The council is chaired by Mark Getty, a member of the Getty family oil dynasty and co-founder of the media company Getty Images.
The complaint seen by the Observer said there were grave concerns at the school with regard to mismanagement, unfair working practices and alleged demeaning language towards some female employees. The letter complained of a “toxic” and “divisive” working atmosphere.
The document stated: “Since July 2019, a number of trustees have been approached and these issues have been brought to their attention, but nothing positive has resulted. People should be given the opportunity to speak in a safe and protected environment.”
In one case of alleged unfair working conditions, a senior female arts researcher who lived at the school and has spoken to the Observer said she was expected to act as a “janitor” on some nights, and was given a torch and high-visibility vest to patrol the premises.
She said: “I actually found a naked man in the lecture theatre one Saturday evening and I had to deal with that. I think he was on drugs.” When she complained that out-of-hours duties were not in her contract, she claims she was told she would not be granted her holiday leave unless she agreed to do the out-of-hours work. The researcher was dismissed after refusing to work out of hours, but says she pursued an unfair dismissal case in the Rome courts and received compensation in a settlement.
The council overseeing the charity commissioned an independent review in June 2020. The panel recommended forming a grievance panel and also identified a “very urgent” need for staff to get access to human resources advice and support.
A grievance panel composed solely of lawyers appointed by the BSR was conducted with hearings in July 2020. In September that year, 37 staff, former employees and alumni wrote to the British Academy, complaining they had not been informed of any findings by the panel and the charity had “failed in its duty of care”.
The British Academy and the BSR reviewed the charity’s governance. Reforms were proposed, including a new code of conduct, the formation of a senior management team and a new approach to diversity and inclusion. The British Academy reported to the complainants in June 2021 that the council had “decided to suspend the operations of the grievance panel despite the absence of any resolution of the issues that came before it”.
The charity, which has about 30 employees, said last week that all the review’s recommendations had been implemented. It said it could not fully respond to specific claims because of confidentiality arrangements, but no members of staff were the subject of disciplinary action.
It said it consulted staff last summer about the grievance panel and the council concluded it was appropriate to consider the procedure closed. It said that no researchers had been asked to act as janitors, but residential staff had shared duties for out-of-hours emergencies. Since spring 2020, a professional security service had been in place, the charity said. An HR manager was appointed in 2021.
Mark Getty, chair of the BSR council, said: “I am confident that with an enhanced framework for the BSR’s governance and with new dynamic leadership, the BSR is now well-placed to develop the UK’s creative and academic presence in Italy.”
The British Academy said it was not in its remit to investigate specific complaints from employees, but said it was satisfied the issues identified in its governance review were “in hand”.
Professor Stephen Milner, director of the charity at the time of the complaints, left at the end of his secondment in January 2021. Milner, Serena Professor of Italian at Manchester University, said last week the BSR would respond on the issue.
