Courts / Galway / Report

Female lecturers sue NUI Galway over alleged gender discrimination

Summary

Dr Sylvie Lannegrand, Dr Rosin Healy, Dr Margaret Hodgins, and Dr Adrienne Gorman have initiated High Court proceedings against the National University of Ireland Galway, alleging gender discrimination in a promotion competition for senior lecturer positions between October 2008 and April 2009. The applicants claim they were treated less favourably on grounds of gender and family status, arguing the selection process was inconsistent and that adequate weight was not given to their teaching and research abilities. They seek declarations that the process breached their contracts, the 1997 Universities Act, Employment Equality Acts, and EU law, along with damages and orders for promotion effective July 1, 2009. NUIG denies the claims, arguing the Workplace Relations Commission is the proper forum and that the actions are misconceived. The case follows a 2014 Equality Tribunal finding that Dr Micheline Sheehy Skeffington was discriminated against in the same process, resulting in her promotion and a €70,000 payment. At a pre-trial hearing before Mr Justice Donald Binchy, NUIG applied to have certain legal points tried as a preliminary action, including whether the Employment Equality Acts modify employment contracts to include an implied right to gender equality and if the claims are statute-barred. The applicants opposed this, arguing the issues are complex and cannot be separated from the substantive action. The judge reserved his decision on the application, which is to be delivered next week.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Female lecturers sue NUI Galway over alleged gender discrimination. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• October 2008 Other
• April 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 1st 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2016-07-20 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Related court reports

• Appearance of tips machine in cafe that pulled in €5k unexplained, tribunal notes
• Judge speaks out about toxic masculinity while jailing young man for rape
• 'You ruined my life,' rape victim tells older brother
• Retired Franciscan brother jailed for 11 years for raping boy
• Lab had to decontaminate first aid room after technician found to have been napping, wearing lead-exposed work gear, tribunal told
• Lithuanian man admits engaging in terrorist plot to attack mosque

Read the original CNI report