Custody officer job withdrawn for GC beliefs - Gribbon (SP legal team) is his solicitor

[InterrobangsArePureBias]

I wonder how many more of such actions will be launched. To adapt Jimmy Doyle’s phrase, “the spectacle of this nation’s [lanyard classes] enforcing moral auto-lobotomy as a condition of entry to [employment]”.

A prison custody officer who was sacked for saying he would not address male-born transgender inmates as ‘she’ or ‘her’ has launched legal action against one of the UK’s largest security firms.
Army veteran David Toshack, 50, was dismissed by GEOAmey during a training course only days before taking up a role as a prison custody officer (PCO) at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court.
The father of three told a safeguarding workshop that he would not be comfortable using a transgender inmates’ preferred gender pronouns and expressed his belief that a man could not become a woman.
It sparked a horrified reaction from bosses at the firm, which employs thousands of justice workers across the UK, who said his views were against the law and company policy.
…
He said: ‘I’m just a normal, working class person who’s never been in trouble with the law before, not got a criminal record, lived a good life. I’ve been prepared to go and fight and die for my country, and then I have come back here and been told that there’s certain things you can’t think or can’t say.’

https://archive.is/bxjqC

Original story about David Toshack in Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14963309/Prison-custody-officer-sacked-refusing-call-male-born-trans-prisoners-her.html

“Prima facie, on the petitioner’s (FWS’s) argument a transman must be held in a female prison, but the Supreme Court judgment contemplates that a transman of masculine appearance may have to be excluded from a female facility. Presumably, the petitioner supports that analysis, but it contradicts the petitioner’s principal argument: biology is not the sole determining factor in such a case.”'

She won't be sent to a male facility, or housed with trans-identified males so she will still be part of the wider female prison estate, which means biology is the sole determining factor

I imagine that writing a name in full could be a little time consuming but initials could be used and would arguably be more accurate. This would seem a reasonable compromise imo. Bet it wasn't even considered.

Here is a photo of DT and DH arriving at court this morning (DT is on the right).

Copyright Iain Masterton

It's often difficult to hear, but I think DT is coming across as solid, down-to-earth, open and reliable. Consistent. Ready to say when he can't remember something. A normal person saying out loud the things (around GI) that most people would think. It will be interesting if he is as calm during the cross, as there is the family backstory that could be difficult.

It's Scotland, so no witness statement. This is his barrister getting down the stuff he wants on the record.

He seems exactly the type of person (with a suitable background) tou want in the prison service AND be prepared to work for only 24k p.a!

I was stunned by that. All this for a £24k job.

A lot of the people who gaily wave through this ideology have no idea about real life.

From TT

We'll return at 2pm for the afternoon session of day 1 of David Toshack's employment tribunal against GeoAmey Ltd. He alleges he was dismissed from a police custody officer role due to his gender critical beliefs - claiming harassment, discrimination and indirect discrimination.

This morning's proceedings can be read here:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/2016440899941654797.html

We are a volunteer collective of citizen journalists. Please follow us here on
@X, our Substack and consider subscribing.

Our Substack with background on the case is here:

https://substack.com/home/post/p-185320084

Abbreviations:
DT/C - David Toshack, Claimant
DH - David Hay, KC, for claimant
MG - Margaret Gribbon, solicitor for claimant
GA/R - GeoAmey Ltd, Respondent, a British company specialising in prisoner transport
MM - Michael McLaughlin, counsel for respondent
J - Employment Judge Amanda Jones, sitting alone
(P)CO - (Police) custody officer
ITC - initial training course
CH - Chris Hutton, course trainer
SW - Stephan Weir, trainee
SH - Sarah Harvey, Safeguarding Lead
T(G) - Trans(gender)
PP - preferred pronouns
BITWB - born in the wrong body

The Scottish accents heard are quite strong so I will do my very best, but I do miss some of the words spoken.

Hem has been ironed closed.

Well done. I'm not even dressed yet 😂

From TT

We return
DH We were talking about the PER form and to look at an example in the bundle (Person Escort Record). Look at p451-2. Is that a sample?
DT Yes
DH We can see a no of components w grey nos. At fig 2 it says personal details. It refs sex
DT Yes

I am dressed, but don't assume that's always the case...

From TT

DH Fig 6 details name of prisoner
DT Yes
DH Name, surname and forenames. And iDing number
DT Yes
DH Section 7 is blank lines. You mentioned "if it isnt written down it didnt happen" is this where u write
DT Yes
DH You had suggested using name instead of pronouns

Like the Bumbas of this world googling for policies to copy and spouting gender wang on at least double that.

The mind boggles.

Yes i thought it must be a typo or a pro rata amount for a part time post. Weeks of training, a dangerous job and not much above minimum wage.

From TT

DT Yes, I wld put in Sec 7
DH Was there a discussion re entering sex on the form
DT Not in the dismissal hearing, not that I recall
DH Then CHs suggestion re not enough time, what did u think
DH I thought it weird and it wldnt take much longer to write than he or she

From TT

DH Would a prisoner have access to and see this form?
DT I dont believe so
DH You mentioned re the meeting of Jan 7th and the HR officer contribution, can u recollect egs of when she interjected.
DT She'd back up what Chris's points. I cant remember exactly

From TT

DH This may come up later, do u recollect discussion of distress of a prsioner and pronouns
DT I dont think so
DH ANy suggestion by either person at mtg that yr conduct in training room had been aggressive
DT Absol not
DH Or unacceptable?
DT [cant hear]

From TT

DH Do you remember CH using the phrase belief re why you cldnt work there
DT He used stong belief. My response was I said my Christian beliefs. He was taken aback. He seemed to be denying it was my religious beliefs.
DH Did he say anything else
DT I said I respect yr right to make this decision, but I htink y're losing a good person

From TT

DH Re the mtg tone, when you were told you werent to be employed how did u feel
DT Disbelief and shock
DH Was there much more said
DT Just procedural about getting your stuff
DH Did u get formal ? about yr dismissal
DT I was told about pay

From TT

DH How long did the mtg take before u were told you were dismissed
DT Hard to judge. Maybe 10-15 mins
DH Were you shown..were there any documents in the room u were referred to
DT I dont think so. Just handwritten notes being taken

From TT

DH [new page] This doc from SPS -guidance on TG prisoners. Was this doc or similar referred to in the meeting?
DT [I think said no]
DH The HR officer made notes?
DT Correct
DH Turn to p571. This doc are typed notes of this mtg of Jan 7 2025. Did u take these?

On a late lunch here. Thank you Myrtle and FWR wims for the c and p and discourse.

I hope this doesn't become another "it's just that they didn't follow the right process" outcomes.

Warning -I just had a 502 Bad Gateway message on loading MN. It resolved but just letting you know MN may go offline. I'll keep a note of the tweets if it does.

From TT

DT No. I took no notes
DH Were you given an opportunity to look over the notes or any records of the meeting?
DT No. And I've not seen this document before today
DH I mentioned a women in custody leaflet before and yr mtg w SH. Was issuing this leaflet mentioned on 7 Jan?

DT No
DH At the conclusion of this mtg, yr belongings..
DT Still in the classroom. [To recover them] I had to go back to the hotel to change out of my uniform. I had to get my keys to do that. I cant remember exactly but I had to sheepishly walk in front of the class to get