A female solicitor has told an Employment Tribunal that she was sacked for starting a new relationship.
Kate Baker has filed claims of sexual harassment, sexual discrimination and unfair dismissal and in her statement to Exeter Tribunal judge, Christopher Carstairs, she said:
“Mr Lingard on many occasions told me that he did not want me in a relationship or to have babies.”
Law firm, Follett Stock, claims that she was sacked for making mistakes, but Miss Baker says it was because of her gender after she formed a relationship.
She said:
“I am of the opinion that Mr Lingard believed he lost control when I started a relationship and this was the true reason for dismissal.”
She also claimed that she was expected to perform weekend marketing activities because she was “single with no children”, unlike her married male colleagues.
Her barrister added that Miss Baker’s boss, Chris Lingard, used her as a ‘distraction’ at meetings with important clients because they ‘seemed to like’ her appearance.
Miss Baker also said the firm had a culture of “bullying, oppression, and lack of good systems and support for the employees”, but the firm deny the claims of bullying, sexual discrimination and harassment and unfair dismissal.
A full hearing will take place at a later date.
