Closing statements in "sexism" case

The officer, Les Crane, assistant director (personnel services), was accused of this in a summing-up submission to the tribunal by the legal team acting for suspended council chief executive Sheryl Grady, who brought the sex discrimination action against Worthing Council and former council leader Sheila Player.Mr Crane gave evidence to the tribunal when it sat for eight days in September.

Both sides made submissions at Monday's hearing.

Miss Grady's team said that Mr Crane, in his supplementary statement, made allegations of bullying against Miss Grady (the applicant).

"In cross-examination, Mr Crane accepted that he had only made those allegations of bullying and intimidation because of the things that the applicant had said about him in her witness statement and tribunal claim," the statement continued.

"It is clear that Mr Crane is motivated by spite. Mr Crane did not raise any allegations of bullying and/or intimidation on the part of the applicant with his employer at any time, notwithstanding that he viewed those matters as very serious."

Final submissions by both sides saw another flurry of claim and counter claim, including the revelation that former council chief Michael Ball had the nickname "Blackadder" after Rowan Atkinson's TV comic creation.

Among the final submissions were:

* For the Council and Miss Player: It is deplorable that the claimant has sought to mount an attack on the integrity of Les Crane when it is not even relevant to an allegation of less favourable treatment but just a question of the claimant anticipating a possible reply by Les Crane to an assertion that she has made.

* For Sheryl Grady: Miss Player said that she had discussed Miss Grady's dress at work with a junior colleague, Brenda Pendred, because she was worried about the chief executive's reaction were she to raise the matter with her personally.

"This is inconsistent with the evidence of Councillor Player that she had a good relationship with the applicant and that problems between them were resolved," said the submission.

* For the Council and Miss Player: The claimant has chosen not to call Brenda Pendred. Sheila Player gave evidence that she had previously made a negative remark about clothing worn by a male officer.

* Miss Grady: Councillor Player referred to the applicant as 'Goldilocks' within the workplace. Such a reference was clearly making fun of the applicant's appearance. It is disrespectful.

* Council/Player: The evidence would appear to show that it was not unusual for individuals to be given nicknames, e.g., Sheila Player was known as Blondie and the previous chief executive (Michael Ball) was known as Blackadder.

* Miss Grady: Miss Player would not have treated Miss Grady in the various ways which undermined and challenged her had she been a man. The council is institutionally sexist in that there is effectively a culture perpetuated through a network of senior male officers influential within the first respondent.

* Council/Player: It is disappointing that the claimant continues to rely on arguments that the council's record of appointments of women is poor when it has been a process for which she bears legal responsibility, for which she took charge and was constrained by the need, as much as possible, to avoid redundancies.

* Miss Grady: Miss Player is the type of person who canvasses the opinion of others and influences others in order to build a case against the applicant. At a meeting of the council executive, Miss Player's behaviour towards the applicant was sufficient for complaints to be made to the council's monitoring officer. At a meeting in October, 2003, of the executive, Miss Player publicly criticised the applicant in relation to a matter where she had privately expressed satisfaction.

* Council/Player: The applicant has been a solicitor for nearly 25 years. This has profoundly affected the way that she operates. She sees problems through a legal prism. It also affects the way she carries out her work. She generally keeps attendance notes of all significant transactions and conversations. These record her perception of events and conversations.

She was effectively continuing to act as if she were the head of legal services and monitoring officer. She struggled to make the adjustment to the role of chief executive. Problems with her micro-management style were continuing well into the late part of December, 2003.

The tribunal is sitting this morning (Thursday), for what is expected to be its last public session, to hear the final legal submissions.

Its decision on Miss Grady's claim is not expected to be announced before early December at the earliest.