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Feminism: Sex & gender discussions

Free Speech Union Wins Six-Figure Settlement For Sacked Civil Servant

13 replies

Signalbox · 28/05/2023 08:50

Not directly linked to "sex and gender" but this is the same mindset of activism we are seeing when women are losing their livelihoods. £100,000 payout but with no liability admitted.

"Ms. Thomas has received a £100,000 settlement from the Government after a three-year ordeal. During that time, she repeatedly tried to raise the alarm about how political activists have infiltrated the Civil Service, including with resources asking employees to “assume” they are racist and the promotion of a jobseekers’ event for the Metropolitan Police that excluded white men."

"The payout comes amid growing concerns about widespread political activism in the Civil Service after Baroness Falkner of Margravine, the head of the equalities watchdog, faced an attempted coup by trans-activist civil servants."

https://dailysceptic.org/2023/05/28/free-speech-union-wins-six-figure-settlement-for-sacked-civil-servant/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/05/27/civil-service-whistleblower-settlement-political-activism/

Free Speech Union Wins Six-Figure Settlement For Sacked Civil Servant – The Daily Sceptic

A civil servant was fired after raising the alarm about her department’s embrace of critical race theory and gender identity ideology. But thanks to the Free Speech Union, she has just won £100,000 in compensation.

https://dailysceptic.org/2023/05/28/free-speech-union-wins-six-figure-settlement-for-sacked-civil-servant/

OP posts:
ChristinaXYZ · 28/05/2023 09:13

Thanks for posting this. It does mention Stonewall as part of the issue so is very relevant.

InterestingUsernameTBC · 28/05/2023 10:10

I wonder how many other women have experienced similar?

I was put through disciplinary and received a written warning for comments I made in a training session that was heavily influenced by critical race theory and gender identity ideology. It seemed that I was deemed to have done wrong purely because people were upset. There was no exploration of what I actually said and whether I was justified to have said it.

One element was that I criticised a model of oppression that put 'trans' above 'cis'. I was asked in my disciplinary if I knew that criticising that model would upset the trainer (who was trans). The implication being that it was not acceptable to criticise the model.

After the training I raised it as a safeguarding concern due to knowing there was a push to include transwomen in the organisation's services for vulnerable women. I was assured that my complaint had been escalated but no one spoke to me about my concerns they just put me through the disciplinary procedure.

I was grateful to just get a written warning and assurance that it would not be disclosed on any references. My post was being made redundant anyway so I moved on.

The whole process was extremely stressful and I lost weight and suffered negative health impacts. I got off lightly and was glad to just put it behind me but it's the same story as here and because I didn't pursue any kind of appeal (although I probably had a good case) those involved will not have the insight the parallels and this will keep happening to women who speak up.

SquirrelSoShiny · 28/05/2023 10:48

I'm sorry that happened to you @InterestingUsernameTBC and glad you got away.

Signalbox · 28/05/2023 11:15

InterestingUsernameTBC · 28/05/2023 10:10

I wonder how many other women have experienced similar?

I was put through disciplinary and received a written warning for comments I made in a training session that was heavily influenced by critical race theory and gender identity ideology. It seemed that I was deemed to have done wrong purely because people were upset. There was no exploration of what I actually said and whether I was justified to have said it.

One element was that I criticised a model of oppression that put 'trans' above 'cis'. I was asked in my disciplinary if I knew that criticising that model would upset the trainer (who was trans). The implication being that it was not acceptable to criticise the model.

After the training I raised it as a safeguarding concern due to knowing there was a push to include transwomen in the organisation's services for vulnerable women. I was assured that my complaint had been escalated but no one spoke to me about my concerns they just put me through the disciplinary procedure.

I was grateful to just get a written warning and assurance that it would not be disclosed on any references. My post was being made redundant anyway so I moved on.

The whole process was extremely stressful and I lost weight and suffered negative health impacts. I got off lightly and was glad to just put it behind me but it's the same story as here and because I didn't pursue any kind of appeal (although I probably had a good case) those involved will not have the insight the parallels and this will keep happening to women who speak up.

God how unjust and bloody stressful for you. No wonder people go off sick when these things happen. You probably just feel like you can’t win. I’m glad FSU are having success defending some of these cases. I think they are supporting Gillian Phillip too aren’t they?

OP posts:
Signalbox · 29/05/2023 22:00
OP posts:
ArabeIIaScott · 29/05/2023 23:20

InterestingUsernameTBC I'm so sorry. It's outrageous and infuriating that women are being persecuted like this - most cases won't even make a ripple, but overall, this chilling effect is having an impact on all women.

ArabeIIaScott · 29/05/2023 23:22

OP, thanks for sharing. This seems significant.

I hope HR departments and EDI people are watching, closely.

dimorphism · 29/05/2023 23:37

Wait what - the internal investigation vindicated her, then they fired her without giving any reasons (surely illegal) and now, thankfully she's won a payout. But she said she's lost her house through it all, and her children have lost that security too.

What a fucked up world we live in. She was actually trying to do what the civil service should do - be impartial. It's not surprising most women don't speak up at work.

hamstersarse · 29/05/2023 23:43

I've joined the Free Speech Union - I have to deal with corporate HR departments and it's only a matter of time before I get pulled for something. Fiver a month seems worth it.

IwantToRetire · 30/05/2023 01:15

I am really sorry for anyone having to go through this, or has been through this.

Just out of interest is there is fact a "professional code" or acknowledged training for anyone who wants to work in HR.

They can be so crucial in workplaces, and can sympathise that sometimes it can be hard.

But surely, they should be taking a stand on what are or are not acceptable "beliefs".

We seem to have gone from a not very supportive repressive concept of how people should behave, and having due deference for "our betters" to some sort of free for all where contested concepts then take precedence over whether you are doing the work you are employed to do well, and working cooperatively with your colleagues.

DaSilvaP · 30/05/2023 03:50

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hamstersarse · 30/05/2023 06:49

But surely, they should be taking a stand on what are or are not acceptable "beliefs".

my experience is that HR do exactly that. It’s all about ‘their brand’ and ‘their culture’. Every business has an identity and a ‘way to do things’ and at the moment, almost all big corporates have drank the ‘diversity and inclusion’ kool aid and are fully twaw.

Hagosaurus · 30/05/2023 06:51

Frankly £100,000 isn’t all that much given how much it’s affected her life - if the stress prevented her working, or the confidence battering prevented her from getting another job, that wouldn’t cover very many years :-(

Interesting I’m so sorry this has happened to you. Are you aware of any organisation which is documenting cases like yours? There must be lots of women, maybe men as well, being affected by this who don’t make a legal challenge. It would be very useful to have the details & organisations documented, so the numbers could be made public (obv while keeping details confidential)

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