The Liverpool Echo reports Bishop’s former ‘spin doctor’ David Johnston wins unfair dismissal case.
The BBC has Diocese worker unfairly dismissed.
The Telegraph has Vicar wins £14,000 over relationship with colleague.
And there is an earlier Echo report, Diocese under fire at tribunal.
In an unusual approach to employment tribunal reporting, the Claimant has published a great deal of documentation at a purpose-built website, Thomas David Johnston vs Liverpool Diocesan Board of Finance, see here.
Here we are again. Relationship and sexual opinion by someone in the Church, a situation where truth suffers, where appearance matters more. A priest who joins his partner in an open service falls on his sword… What about here? Once again this is in the context of employment. When is this Church going to learn the lesson? When is it going to stop looking stupid and become honest with itself: when will the duplicity stop?
A very interesting story, well done Ruth Gledhill in pointing to this blog.
Simon, how many cases have the CofE lost recently? Have the won any?
I imagine that they are quite a large employer but it does seem they are in court quite a lot!
I propose a new Episcopal Dining Club for those who have been savaged at an Employment Tribunal.
Acronym anyone?
This has implications for the debacle at Wycliffe Hall where Dr Elaine Storkey is also involved in an unfair dismissal claim against the Bp of Liverpool who is chairman of the WH council. This sorry episode does not portray the Bp of Liverpool in a particularly good light.
Yes, of course Will there are the “Wycliffe Three” also waiting to be vindicated either by agreement or through the employment courts – God bless them and their families!
Bishop Jones is in the chair there too – perhaps he will introduce a second collection into the diocese of Liverpool to pay for all these infractions – and the fine dining! – for he’s obviously best qualified to Preside over the new Dining Club!
This comes how many weeks after the leaked report that bishops didn’t think all their clergy were up to the job? Perhaps parish clergy can look at this case and the Hereford one and legitimately ask whether their Lordships are up to their job?
Can anyone confirm what I read elsewhere – that Elaine Storkey has been persuaded to adjourn the next stage of her tribunal because of the publicity that was going to surround the Bishop of Liverpool in tribunal case brought by Johnston? Is it also true that Wycliffe has not yet paid her settlement?
I have heard from a very reliable source that Elaine’s Storkey’s claim on religious discrimination was set for June 10-13 and has been postponed until October unless the issues are resolved. I understand that there were behind the scenes initiatives by a number of people and that she agreed to go to mediation on condition that several of her former colleagues are also involved, and that it involves some key members of the Council, including the Bishop of Liverpool.