Man wins £62,000 in sex discrimination compensation

Security guard Allwyn Rondeau was today awarded more than £62,500 pounds by an employment tribunal after his life was "ruined" by Lucy Chilton.

news.PinkPaper.com
Thursday, 2 September 2010
19 February 2009
Security guard Allwyn Rondeau was today awarded more than £62,500 pounds by an employment tribunal after his life was "ruined" by Lucy Chilton.

The panel heard how the woman shook her breasts at Rondeau and told him he "wouldn't know what to do with a woman anyway."

The 47-year-old who worked as a security guard at Heathrow Airport, was "frogmarched" from work, stripped of his pass and suspended after he spurned Chilton's advances and she falsely accused him of harassing her.

In one incident she put his hand on her breasts and taunted him for being homosexual, saying he did not know how to have sex with a woman.

When Rondeau made a complaint about her behaviour, she remained at work at security firm G4S, despite being under investigation.

Rondeau successfully sued Chilton and boss Brian Johnson, through the company, for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation for the initial harassment and the different ways in which his and Chilton's complaints were handled.

Learning of today's payout, Rondeau said: "I'm pleased about it but it wasn't the money that was important. It was justice that I wanted, against her [Chilton] and the management, for what I have been through every day for the past two years.

"I'm happy but I'm still angry because I know she has not been touched. She has been promoted. We [he and his partner Bernie Shearman] lost our house and had to move out of the area.

"I had to endure one-and-a-half day's of cross examination and when you're not very well it's not very nice to go through."

He did not initially report any of his treatment by Chilton, not wanting to cause trouble, only for her to make a complaint about him. In a bizarre twist she reported him for inappropriate sexual behaviour, claiming he exposed his erect penis through his underpants to her.

This was later rejected following an investigation and he decided to complain about her.

From being a sociable, outgoing figure who organised evenings out for colleagues, Rondeau is now a shadow of his former self.

Diagnosed with depression, he is on medication and now barely leaves his bedroom.

His partner, a former London Underground train driver, was medically retired from his job with stress. He is now Rondeau's registered carer at their new home in Paignton, South Devon, where they moved to completely sever any connection with the Heathrow area.

The tribunal, held in Reading, Berkshire, in January and February last year, had heard how Rondeau was also called a "batty boy" at Terminals 1 and 4 during the period in early 2006.

Employment Tribunal Judge Richard Byrne said: "The tribunal is satisfied that Chilton's conduct in placing the claimant's hand on her breast and then having pushed his hand away, saying "you would not know what to do with a woman anyway" was conduct on the grounds of sexual orientation.

"There is no other logical interpretation of her comment."

Dr Neil Brener, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital, in north London, wrote of the effect of events on the claimant, stating: "Clearly Rondeau has been through a very traumatic experience.

"He feels he has been treat like a criminal, even though he has been exonerated."

The award of £62,525 pounds was broken down as follows:

£12,000 pounds for injury to feelings.
£10,500 pounds damages for moderate psychiatric injury.
£64 pounds medical expenses.
£23,102.16 pounds in lost earnings.
£8,151 pounds in lost future earnings.
£38.40 pounds in future prescription costs.
£5,385.55 pounds under Section 31 of the Employment Act 2002.
£1,656.98 pounds in interest on award for injury to feelings calculated under Employment Tribunals Regulations 1996 from 31 Oct, 2006 to 17 Oct, 2009, at daily rate of £1.9726 pounds.
£2,324.36 pounds in interest on other sums.

Minus £697 pounds claimant's representatives are ordered to pay in wasted costs to the respondent under Rule 48(3).

Total: £62,525.45 pounds.


Bookmark with:

| More
Story Comments
You must log in to add a comment. If you already have a PinkPaper account log in with your email address and password. If you’re a customer of Prowler Direct, Diva Direct, Gay Times, Diva Mag, Libertas or Expectations you can log in with those details.
Facebook
Twitter