Toshack vs GeoAmey Ltd
David Toshack (DT), the claimant, was employed as a new prison custody officer by Geo Amey Ltd and sent on a 6 week introductory training course. Near the end of that course DT was dismissed, he asserts because of his gender critical beliefs. His appeal against his dismissal was subsequently upheld. DT, a Christian, is claiming harassment, discrimination and indirect discrimination on the grounds of his gender critical beliefs.
Geo Amey Ltd, the respondent, is a for profit company that provides prisoner transport and custodial services on behalf of the Ministry of Justice in England and Wales and the Scottish Prison Service.
Current status
The case is expected to be heard at the Edinburgh Employment Tribunal from 28 January 2026 through 4 February 2026.
Abbreviations
DT/C - David Toshack, claimant
GA/R - Geo Amey Ltd, respondent
MG - Margaret Gribbon, solicitor for claimant
DH - David Hay KC, advocate for the claimant
PCO - Police Custody Officer
ITC - introductory training course
MM - Michael McLaughlin, advocate for the respondent
SH - Sarah Harvey, training course instructor
CH - Chris Hutton, training course instructor
GC - Gender critical or sex realist beliefs
BITWB - Born in the wrong body
TW - Trans woman, person born male who identifies as female
TM - Trans man - person born female who identifies as male
DEI - Diversity, equity and inclusion
SPS - Scottish Prison Service
Live Tweet Threads
28 January 2026 - morning, afternoon
29 January 2026 - morning part one, part two, afternoon
30 January 2026 - Morning part one, part two, afternoon
2 February 2026 - Morning, afternoon part one & part two
3 February 2026 - not sitting
4 February 2026 - Morning, afternoon
Press Coverage
Here are links to 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 - it is not comprehensive. Please DM our main Twitter account to submit coverage from an established news outlet. Any paywalled article must be archived.
2nd February 2026
Sky - Trainee GEOAmey prison custody officer 'angry' after pronoun disagreement, tribunal told
Daily Record - Trainee prison officer sacked over pronoun disagreement was 'angry and agitated'
30th January 2026
Telegraph - Trans pronouns are ‘lies’, said prison officer sacked for refusing to use them
Sky - Sacked GEOAmey worker did not want to 'lie' over transgender pronouns, tribunal told
Daily Record - Sacked trainee prison officer didn't want to 'lie' over transgender pronouns, tribunal told
29th January 2026
Standard - Sacked worker denies being ‘anti-trans’ as tribunal discusses online posts
Independent - I was not hostile in disagreement over pronouns, sacked worker tells tribunal
Courier - Fife prison officer sacked over pronouns refusal claims daughter ‘proof of social contagion’
Times - Sacked prison officer denies being aggressive in pronouns row
BBC - Sacked prison custody officer denies 'hostility' during pronoun training
28th January 2026
BBC - Custody officer claims unfair dismissal over prisoner pronoun refusal
Scottish Sun - Scots prison officer claims he was sacked for refusing to call trans criminals ‘she’
25th August 2025
Daily Mail - Prison custody officer sacked for refusing to call male-born trans prisoners 'she' or 'her'
3rd August 2025
Telegraph - Prison officer sacked after refusing to call male-born inmates ‘she’
2nd August 2025
Scottish Daily Express - Scottish prison custody officer SACKED for refusing to call trans inmates 'she' and 'her'