Lizzy Pitt v Cambridgeshire County Council
Lizzy Pitt v Cambridgeshire County Council
Social worker sues her employer for harassment and discrimination
Lizzy Pitt, a social worker, is bringing an employment tribunal against Cambridge County Council for harassment and discrimination.
Ms Pitt believes sex is real, that sex matters - particularly to her as a lesbian who is exclusively attracted to women - and that men cannot “literally” become women.
Following her participation in meetings of a workplace “LGBTQIA” group where she expressed her 'gender critical' belief, Ms Pitt was subjected to a group complaint by colleagues and a disciplinary process resulting in formal “management action”, which she alleges was designed to silence her.
Ms Pitt claims she was excluded from the network and found the process “intensely stressful and humiliating”.
Ms Pitt alleges some of her colleagues agree with her but are afraid to speak out due to a “climate of fear”, which she states has “serious consequences” for professionals working with vulnerable children.
Ms Pitt is bringing this case because she believes:
“employers won’t learn that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable unless they can see other employers being found liable by a tribunal and having to pay compensation.”
Status
The case is listed for 29th July - 2nd August 2024 in Cambridge.
No evidence was heard on Monday as Cambridgeshire County Council (CCC) admitted liability and a preliminary damage award was determined. The tribunal was adjourned until Wednesday 31 July. Naomi Cunningham, barrister for Ms Pitt, is seeking costs on the basis that CCC had no reasonable expectation that they could defend the claim.
UPDATE 16TH SEPT 2024: Judge Paul Michell ruled the tribunal found the evidence “unambiguously” showed that “at least part of the reason” for the council’s conduct towards Ms Pitt was her “gender-critical beliefs”. Pitt was awarded nearly £30,000 in loss of earnings and £22,000 compensation for injury to feelings, with interest added.
Live Tweeting sessions
Wednesday 31st July morning session
Wednesday 31st July afternoon session
Abbreviations
C/LP - claimant, Liz Pitt
R/CC - respondent, Cambridgeshire County Council
NC - barrister for C/LP
J - Judge, Michell
P1, P2 - panel members Ms M Harris, Mr B Smith
LM - Liz McGlone, Didlaw solicitor for C
LB - Laura Bell, barrister for R/CC
ZW - Zena Wroe, solicitor for CC
Press coverage
Here are links to a selection of relevant press coverage about this case. These links are included without comment and are not endorsed by Tribunal Tweets. This is a sample of coverage only, with most recent first - it is not comprehensive. Please DM our main Twitter account to submit coverage from an established news outlet. Any paywalled article must be archived.
18th Sept 2024
Telegraph - My remarks over a ‘dog in a frock’ plunged me into a Kafkaesque nightmare
17th Sept 2024
Telegraph - Pabllo the ‘gender-fluid’ dachshund at centre of LGBT+ row
Spiked - Can a Dachshund be ‘genderfluid’?
Personnel Today - Judge urges council to mandate ‘freedom of belief’ training
16th Sept 2024
Times - Social worker wins £55,000 after row about gender-fluid dachshund
12 Aug 2024
Outer Temple - Success for council worker in gender-critical discrimination claim
8 August 2024
The Critic Magazine - The curious incident of the dog and the tribunal
4 August 2024
The Free Speech Union - Council admits discriminating against social worker over her gender-critical views
3 Aug 2024
2 Aug 2024
Telegraph - Council admits discriminating against social worker over her gender-critical views
24 Dec 2023
Spiked - The trans takeover of social work
4 Oct 2023
Professional Social Worker - Social work manager disciplined for ‘gender critical’ beliefs to take employer to tribunal