Courts / Ireland / Report

Workers subject to unsubstantiated allegation of having sex at children's home lose discrimination claims

Summary

Two social care workers, Mr X and Ms Y, lost claims for sexual harassment and discrimination after a child's unsubstantiated allegation that they had sex on night duty at a residential home. The boy, Boy YP, reported hearing the workers and later contacted Ms Y's girlfriend, alleging a relationship between the workers. Mr X said the allegation was a rumor spread by a former colleague, Mr CD, who he claimed had coerced the boy. Ms Y said she was subjected to intrusive questioning about her sexuality by managers and that the company's policy on pay during investigations was changed after her complaint. Both workers were suspended without pay, later resigned, and the Workplace Relations Commission found that the investigation meetings were stressful and that the workers had not established discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation or family status.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Workers subject to unsubstantiated allegation of having sex at children's home lose discrimination claims. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• Wednesday 26 January Other
• September 2022 Other
• 2024-06-21 Publication

Why: Ms Y explained that the company's management had objected to the attendance of a colleague she had nominated to accompany her to the meeting, as the colleague had been in with Mr X at his meeting earlier that day, so she went in alone. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Read the original CNI report