Custody officer job withdrawn for GC beliefs - Gribbon (SP legal team) is his solicitor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

From TT

my phone and keys
DH So 2 occasions
DT Yes. I'd had a lift in the morning so I had to speak to Stephan and walked out w him.
DH U got yr remaining stuff from Mr Weir who took it out of the room
DT Yes. My colleagues were still in the room. I was embarrassed

From TT

DH U got yr keys, changed out of uniform which u returned. And then u got yr items from Mr Weir
DT His possessions were in the hire car. We walked round together and I gave them to him. He asked what happened and I told him
DH How much detail
DT I said ?? and he said I cant believe it

From TT

DH In the immed aftermath of being sacked, as is yr phrase?
DT I phoned my wife and said I'd been sacked. She cldnt belive it and thought I was joking. I said I'd phone her again later
DH Was anything else in yr mind
DT I was worried about paying bills and impact on looking for another job

From TT

DH On p578, you received a letter confirming your dismissal dated 14 Jan
DT Yes
DH The last para advised u cld appeal this decision and how to go about this
DT Yes, I did appeal
DH This document is yr appeal?
DT Yes
DH Who prepared this letter
DT The FSU

From TT

DH When did u contact the FSU
DT Within a few days or week of the 7th
DH They assisted u with the letter and dont divulge any legal advice, but what assistance did they give
DT The format, drafting reasons and grounds for appeal
DH The chapter headings incl grounds

DH Grounds 1 and 2 and next steps. Is that what u mean by grounds?
DT Yes
DH Factual background section sets out a lot of detail. What's the source of this
DT I gave them an initially a broad idea of what happened and later more detail.
DH So within a few days of Jan 7
DT Yes

From TT

DH How
DT By email
DH Did u submit it yrself
DT They drafted and I sent it. I read it first.
DH Re factual background section, are u satisfied that what is in these pages accurately covers what you told the FSU?
DT [reading] Yes, I'm happy with it and the detail

From TT

DH A few pages on, yr appeal was acknowledged on Jan 23rd
DT Yes
DH Then an email change between yrself and Ms Pollock about how the appeal wld be conducted
DT

DH She seems to be encouraging an in person appeal but you didnt take this recommendation

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67b5a0b4d15c152ea555bf6e/8001555.2024_-Mr_M_Reay_v_Lothian_Health_Board-_Judgment_Issued_10.02.2025.pdf

Another case in which EJ Jones found in favour of a trans activist chaplin who wasn't properly supported by NHS when there was unfavourable press against their actions.

https://news.nhslothian.scot/2022/04/01/nhs-lothian-marks-trans-day-of-visibility/

https://x.com/NHS_Lothian/status/1509440510091476997

From TT

DT [cldnt hear]
DH On p587-9, the appeal outcome later dated 18th Feb. The manager was John Sinclair
DT Yes
DH Within this letter, on p587, is a heading factual background response. It refs yr own factual background. Then there's a conflicting version of events.

From TT

DH To what extent do you agree with the counternarrative in JS's outcome letter? You can take your time to read it again.
DT There's a bit in there on p588 re you made a statement in an aggressive manner. I dispute this. Or that I wldnt search a TG. Again it says aggressive manner

DT That's a lie. I wld treat ppl equally fairly and w respect. I had a simple workaround of calling them by their name
DH Was it a hard or electronic copy u received
DT Elec followed by hard copy
DH Anything else attached or enclosed
DT No, I dont think so
DH This is an email from SH to JS and Ms P

DH Refs during SH's presentation. U didnt receive this email but it looks like SH provided a statement during the appeal, which is v similar to the factual background. Did u see her statement prior to u receiving the appeal outcome letter?
DT No

From TT

DH Did u see this doc during the Jan 7 mtg
DT No
DH Did JS give u the opportunity to comment on your version of events during the mtg of Jan 7th 2025
DT No

From TT

DH On p589, letter headed ? JS says yr not being dismissed for yr beleifs but because u cldnt have fulfilled the duties and say u wldnt use the pronouns. What distinction do u make between yr belief and needing to use PP? Is there any distinction
DT I dont understand

From TT

DH They're saying it was cos u wldnt comply w policy
DT If I'd been a bit more switched on I cld have asked which belief they were talking about.
DH U then took steps to raise this tribunal proceedings
DT Yes
DH How did u feel about JS outcomes

DT It didnt surprose me that didnt back down. Felt they were making stuff up eg being aggressive. They were trying to make me worse than I actually was
DH Were u asked for any explanation about any posts on social media
DT No

From TT

DH SW will be a witness later. I asked u about yr discussions immed after dismissal. Did u know him previously
DT No. I've been in touch by messaging and we've met up a few times
DH Have u discussed what happened on Jan 7th
DT Naturally
DH Why
DT We talk about how his work is going but what happened naturally comes up in conversation

From TT

DH You mentioned yr concern re getting work. What did u do about getting further work
DT I had a 2 week course coming up and I applied for different jobs.
DH During this time, You mentioned yr wife and children. Does yr wife work
DT Yes

So it sounds like DT thinks he was blacklisted.

From TT

DH So you had some income. Re looking for work, here's an email [reads re Fife council team sent Feb 25]
DT Yes
DH That wasnt successful. Here's another Fife council applic dated MAy 15th for roadworker maintenance that wasnt successful. And May 2nd was an unsuccessful seasonal waste job

From TT

[lost a tweet]

TT lost the tweet, not me.

From TT

DT Discussing applications to Fife and a tax free income. We could survive on my wife's income but not thrive. I got involved in church voluntary work which led to paid work w members of the church
DH Gardening work?
DT Yes
J There's some that's redacted / needs redacting

From TT

DH This is about being a sole trader. Did u become self employed?
DT Yes, towards end of April. I got more and more work
DH Do u have a seperate bank account?
DT I've set up a business account
DH I'll have to talk to the clerk re redaction, does this relate to

From TT

DH u setting up a business account
DT Yes
DH If we're looking at a compensatory reward..how do u normally receive payment from clients
DT Vast majority are cash
DH This doc is headed and relates to yr income. Who prepared this
DT I did on my sons laptop. I used the records from my phone.

From TT

DH The date relates to when work was done or paid
DT When paid
DH [discusses columns] Total income was approx £6000?
DT Yes
DH There may be a few BACS payments rather than cash? We have a copy of yr bank statement and entries highlighted. Are these work y've done as a self

DH employed gardener
DT Yes
DH Were these payments included in the list y've given us
DT They shld be
DH From April to Dec 2025, y've listed the income y've made. Do u have any expenditure?
DT I've always had gardening equipment. I have a large hatchback that I use for transport. Most of my jobs are a few mins away re fuel.

DT If a vehicle is used for both business and personal use it's v complicated and such small distances.
DH So the grand total is sums received, and is yr bottom line essentially as v little deductions
DT Yes

From TT

DH We have some payslips from yr time with the R on these pages. I dont think they'll be disputed. On p610-623 we see pay slips
DT Yes
DH From April to Nov as a reservist. Have you done any more reservist work
DT No

From TT

DH Hypothetically, thinking back to yr work w the R. It was FT work and permanent?
Yes
DH Did u think about how long y'd work there
DT I was going to give it 12 months at least and if I liked it would stay there until I retired
DH what age were u thinking of retiring

From TT

DT When no longer fit for work
DH GA had automatic enrolment for pension after 3 months. Would u have enrolled early before the 3 months
DT I hadnt thought of it. I certainly ?? like the Army and at Sky
DH Looking at a GA payslip...