Admonition from Employment Judge Kemp to any potential witnesses to avoid Tribunal Tweets coverage.
Claimant, respondents, counsel, members of the court
C/SP - Claimant, Sandy Peggie
NC - Naomi Cunningham, C’s barrister
MG - Margaret Gribbons, C’s solicitor R/Board - first respondent, Fife Health Board R2/DU - second respondent, Dr B Upton
Rs – 1st and 2nd respondents
JR - Jane Russell, KC, barrister for respondents
AW - Adam Watson, solicitor for respondents J - Employment Judge Alexander Kemp
ET - Employment Tribunal
P1, P2 - additional panel members; CM Russell, L Brown
MF - Maya Forstater, CEO of Sex Matters
DP - Darren Peggie, Claimant's husband
NP - Nicole Peggie, Claimant's daughter
SB - Sheila Bell, Claimant's mother
ED - Esther Davidson, SP’s line manager
IB – Isla Bumba, NHS Fife Equality and Diversity Lead Officer
KS - Kate Searle, A&E consultant
SF - Stuart Fraser, SP’s RCN Rep
AG - Angela Glancy, headed up in SP investigation
VV – Vic Valentine, Equality Network
Abbreviations for frequently used terms (not exhaustive):
AE - Accident & emergency department
B&H - bullying and harassment
CR - changing room
CX – complaint
DX - disciplinary procedure or process
FtP - fitness to practice
GC /SR: gender critical or sex realists. Belief that biological sex is important, immutable and different from gender identity
GI – Gender identity is a person's internal sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with their birth sex.
HI - hate incident
HR - Human Rights IX - investigation
SX - suspension
EA - Equality Act 2010
PC - protected characteristic; 9 under EA
RA = risk assessment
GM - Gillian Malone, Director of Nursing NHS Fife
NEW TODAY
JB - Jim Borwick, KJB computer forensics consultancy
Still no live link - will update when we know more.
Still nothing to report.
Very long delay - still nothing to report as yet.
Link is live.
We will begin shortly.
J- morning KS, chose oath.
KS sworn in.
J - I'm writing, please go slowly , JR
JR - full name pls
KS - Kate ELizabeth Searle
JR how long
KS - 11 years
JR - title
KS - consultant in emergency
JR - invoves?
KS - supervision and oversight.
JR - first met DU
KS - aug 2023
JR - role with DU?
KS - ??+clinical supervision
JR - what does that involve
KS - getting to know their experience and main point of contact and support in career while in dept. Also wellbeing support if require
JR - describe relationship with SP
KS - I'm a consultant in dept,
KS - large ept have know since started
JR - id you know of her GC views?
KS - no
JR - do you knoww hat it means?
KS - yes I think so
JR - aware of any of SP's views?
KS - no
JR - describe dr induction
KS - practical induction, fire safety etc day 1 then given geog of dept, areas
KS - go through areas and topics, there are projects we do, things they can get involved in, who to support and who supervisors are.
JR - when id you become DU supervisor
KS - aug 2023
JR - when was induction?
KS - weds and thurs of first week
JR - when aware of DU trans status?
KS - when I met her, in interview for job was very open about it
JR - did she tell you?
KS - yes
JR - how long did you beloeve out as TW?
KS believe a year
JR - first meeting with DU?
KS - aug 23
JR - purpose of meeting?
KS - intro to me, what she wanted to get out of role, ans
questions, direct to support available
JR - *turns to bundle* - What is this a pic of?
KS - F CR in emergency dept
JR - what discussion with DU about F CR use?
KS - checked knew where was, happy to use it, had used in previous jobs, extent of conv.
JR - who suggested DU use F CR?
KS - Beth use in previous job, happy and comfortable, so I made no other suggestion
JR - recall what you said?
KS - not an in depth conv, asked if happy using, she said yes. I had nothing to add.
JR - what prep for meeting?
KS - l looked at info summary of previous jobs
KS - foundation jobs, also looked up EHRC statutory act, as DU ID as F she has every right to use F CR
JR - anything else?
KS - looked for Fife policy, wasn't one.
JR - in bundle, later in Dec, your email to IB, you say first transgender dr, v little info available, asking for
info, what were you looking for?
KS - hoping trust policy supporting TG staff in workplace.
JR - her reply, describe reponse.
KS - no trust policy for staff, or patients either I think, hope to have one.
JR - why send that email 8th Dec?
KS - don't recall
JR - Xmas 2023...
JR - same bundle. Email from EP to you and ED, informs you DU had a v upsetting interaction with staff, is v distressed. She reassured Beth was appropriate to let senior colleague know in future. YOu r reaction?
KS - concerned for Beth.
JR - what did you do?
KS - not read in
isolation, Xmas day, others also came through.#
JR - your dates of hols then?
KS - can't recall exactly, around 29th back. (missed)
JR - email dated 3:17 am Xmas day, difficult incident mentioned spoken to Elspeth, also a summary.
JR - it says SP said DU shouldn't be in changing
and lots felt that way. reaction
KS - concerned, and no policies
JR - ???
KS - again concerned
JR - qu of chromasomes
KS - imagine invasive question, not relevant for colleague to ask
JR - why upsetting for Beth
KS - beth ID as F and Chrom don't matter to her
JR - continues saying intimidated, and mentions isla bryson
KS - inappropriate
JR - who is Isla bryson
KS - rapist in prison
JR - lots of other feel this way - aware any concerns?
KS - no
JR - when did you respond to email?
KS - 29th Dec
JR - 11:17 why did you send this to Beth?
KS - imp to acknowledge extremely distresssing event, to make contact and arrange to discuss furhter.
JR - I'll let other consultants know, why
KS - so DU could leave if needed
JR - did she?
KS - don't believe so
JR - when did you see DU?
KS - met around 5pm that day
JR - where
KS - consultant office
JR - just you?
KS - just me and Beth
JR - what happened?
KS - Beth went through all events, very distressed
J - need to catch up
KS - looked at hate incident policy, going through it realised incident required datix, completed together
KS - discussed police report as that's in policy. Beth said would think. Looked at shift patterns and if she felt safe. Ensured had all support needed
JR - which events?
KS - Xmas eve. She mentioned 2 others with Sandie, miss Peggie, where DU felt interactions were about trans
JR - describe incidents
KS - entered while SP doing obs, DU asked if wanted to do them, SP said do them yourself and left
JR - what did you make of that interaction
KS - normally resus nurse would do full obs before or during Dr comes. Odd unless other pressing things
JR - obs are observatins?
KS - yes ecg, blood pressure etc and documenting on chart.
JR - 2nd incident?
KS - Beth called patient, didn't respond to call, patient presented with MH crisis I think, concerned. Peggie was triage nurse, asked if concern over leaving
KS - when DU found SP, SP spoke through another staff member, wouldn't speak directly
JR - what dd you make of that
KS - concerned, first I'd heard that, concerned for patient safety if nurse can't talk to Dr, we need to communicate well for safety
JR - subsequent conv with other
JR - staff member?
KS - asked if she recalled, she was concerned about getting invoved in conv, she said I am mixed race, I am worrued about getting involved for my own safety.
JR - what do you think she meant?
KS - this at this point meant this legal case, press attention
staff involved underscrutiny and views would be widely publicised.
JR - what did DU describe in meeting 29th Dec
KS - all of events of Xmas eve and 2 other incidents. That was an escalation from previous events, she wouldn't stay in CR if Beth there.
JR - DU telephone notes. Seen before?
KS - not seen Beth subsequently told me about them
JR - when?
KS - 29th along with rest. Not sure if mentioned around time I sent email to IB about CR policies. May have had conv then and prompted me.
JR - might have known on 8th when emailed
isla Bryson, sorry Isla bumba
KS - ????
JR - on the changing room 26th Aug 2023 incident? did she say?
KS - not sure, we talked on 29th dec, might have been mentioned before and why I wrote 8th Dec.
JR - you reviewed hate policy, quick look then likely break fo rlunch
JR - is that the policy you mean?
KS - yes
JR - difinition of hate incident written there, can you read and describe why you think it applied
KS - thought it verbal abuse and harassment.
JR - same for hate crime, why catagorised?
KS - we discussed, filled datix, felt criteria met
KS - discussed police, that's part of incident or crime policy
JR -
KS - embarrassing, humiliating, met those criteria
JR - NHS staff must report all hate incidents
KS - that's why we did datix and informed DU and SP managers
JR - SP manager is?
KS - *apologies missed the name*
JR - think a good place for lunch.
J - back in one hour.
ENDS SESSION
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Tribunal is taking a short break. We will return with part two of the morning session. NR has said he expects to go until lunchtime with this witness.
AH - Angela Harrington, heard C's appeal of dismissal
J - dealing with sound issues clerk has moved microphones, and also some picking up typing sounds, that's probably me, further discussion.
NR - ground 2 of appeal was that she was dismissed for interpretation of tweets that was not put to her and that it was wrong to dismiss
Ms Young is taking her former employer, Manchester City Council, to employment tribunal for unfair dismissal on the grounds of religion or belief. Ms Young is a Catholic, holds gender critical beliefs. She was dismissed, among other grounds, for social media activity.
This is the second part of the day 6 afternoon session in Lorna Young vs Manchester City Council at employment tribunal. Part 1 is here
The court is currently taking a short break; after which Nathan Roberts barrister for the C will continue cross-examination of MCC witness Sharmila Kar.
[We resume]
NR: p1456 This is another OH report?
SK: Yes
NR: Last para b4 'conclusion' - advises advance notification for discussing things with C?
SK: Yes
5 mins
NR They were all GC news
SN Yes
NR They'd whipped themselves up by finding a GC account
SN [missed]
NR On 16 Feb this letter to the C is about Ix into GG account
SN Yes
NR U use a passive voice, common from the R, re an initial Ix and whether to Ix further. U use
the same passive voice. Who did the initial review
SN Understand Nick McMillan looked at it and then referred account to HR
NR who concluded need further Ix
SN With HR but cant recall who
NR Who made the decison. Was it you
SN It was made w HR. I cant recall
NR U say an independent Ix and must caution you and give u a prelim warning it may be gross misconduct
SN Yes
NR Who decided the GG shld be treated as gross misconduct
SN I cant recall the detail. The policy of discrimination.
NR What was the GM
SN Re the tweets?
NR Yes
How the views expressed. Compatibility w the role
Good morning. We will shortly be live tweeting day 6 of the employment tribunal of LY vs Manchester City Council (MCC).
LY holds gender critical views and is Catholic and was formerly Equality Team Manager at MCC. She was dismissed from this role due to her social media content.
LY claims:
(a) Direct discrimination because of religion or belief;
(b) Harassment related to religion or belief;
(c) Discrimination arising from disability;
(d) Harassment related to disability;
(e) Unfair dismissal.
We're a collective of volunteer citizen journalists & not paid for our work. Please support us by subscribing to our Substack (link in bio above) which funds our digital & some travel costs.
We report what we hear in good faith but do not provide a transcript of proceedings.