Deaf employee wins discrimination claim
Jul 11 2007 By Paul Bradley, Birmingham Mail
THE manager of a Midland deaf charity has been ordered to pay £2,310 to a former employee with severe hearing problems after an industrial tribunal heard how she had been discriminated against.
Colin Sanders, the manager of the Walsall Deaf People's Centre, in Lichfield Street, was ordered to pay the money to sign language teacher Jayne Fletcher, aged 23.
She was awarded it after successfully claiming constructive dismissal.
Mr Sanders, who won an MBE for his services to education and the deaf community in 2005, was ordered to pay the full compensation award for the stress he caused her.
He was not present at the hearing.
Two other respondents, Walsall Deaf People's Centre and one of their line managers, Maria Sanders, came to an "amicable agreement" with Ms Fletcher and she was awarded an undisclosed amount in compensation.
In a statement read out after the tribunal, Ms Fletcher's lawyer, Jenny Deacon, said: "Jenny Fletcher has welcomed today's decision to make an individual award against Colin Sanders, which is a rarity in discrimination cases.
"While the amount awarded is disappointing, the fact that an award was made expresses the disgust with the discriminatory conduct of that person.
"Jayne is relieved the case has now been resolved and hopes that nobody else has to go through the same experience.
"The centre provides an invaluable service to the deaf community and she would not have liked the centre to close as a result of this case."
Colin Sanders was unsympathetic towards Ms Fletcher when she needed time off to go to hospital for treatment for epilepsy and there was a general failure by staff to use sign language, Birmingham tribunal chairman Paul Swann(correct) said.
Mr Swann added: "Mr Sanders actions were at best unreasonable and at worst vexatious."
In a statement put before the chairman, Ms Fletcher said: "I was excluded and isolated when I worked at WDPC.
"It made me sad and feel as if something was wrong with me. It made me paranoid.
"Colin Sanders made money from my disability. It angered me when I realised Colin received money from Access to Work to provide me with a support worker to interpret but he never bothered employing anyone to help me."
Ms Fletcher, who claims she would now be earning a salary of £20,000 if she was still working at WDPC, is now working as a cleaner because she is 'desperate for money'.
Mr Sanders was unavailable to comment.
