A rape crisis worker was unfairly dismissed from her role at a support centre for survivors of abuse after she expressed gender critical views, a tribunal has ruled.
Roz Adams was subjected to a “Kafkaesque” internal disciplinary process by managers at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) after she questioned rules about trans female counsellors working with female survivors.
The tribunal said there was “ample evidence” Adams had been unfairly treated by her employers because they believed she was a transphobe.
The investigations into Adams amounted to a “heresy hunt” because “she did not fully subscribe to the gender ideology which they did and which they wished to promote in the organisation. This was an act of harassment on the basis of her belief.”
Adams, who describes herself as a “sex realist”, had questioned whether it was fair and appropriate for the centre to insist that its clients could not specify that they only wanted support from biological women.
In its ruling, the tribunal said the centre’s chief executive, Mridul Wadhwa, a trans woman, had “formed the view that the claimant was transphobic. This led to a completely spurious and mishandled disciplinary process. The investigation was deeply flawed.
“[It] is unfortunately a classic of its kind, somewhat reminiscent of the work of Franz Kafka. The investigation should not have been launched in the first place and was clearly motivated by a strong belief amongst the senior management and some of the claimant’s colleagues that the claimant’s views were inherently hateful.”
The centre’s mishandling of a grievance complaint and a related disciplinary case against Adams were “an act of unlawful discrimination” against her motivated entirely by its prejudice against her, it added.
Adams, 52, who insists she is not transphobic and now works for a rape crisis advisory service set up and funded by JK Rowling, said the ruling validated her stance.
She said it was incumbent on the Scottish government and Rape Crisis Scotland, the membership body for rape crisis centres, to ensure that freedom of choice for survivors of sexual violence was respected.
“This is a victory for all people who have been subjected to sexual violence who need a choice of worker, and group support on the basis of sex in order to feel safe,” she said.
The tribunal has yet to decide on a settlement for Adams. Rape Crisis Scotland said it was “concerned” about the evidence that emerged during the tribunal hearings that suggested ERCC had fallen short of its standards on quality of service.
ERCC’s board of directors said it was “saddened” by the ruling and said the centre strived to offer a “safe, accessible and inclusive” service for everyone.
“We are fully supportive of Rape Crisis Scotland’s commissioning of an independent review of ERCC practice,” it added. “This will help ensure our practices and procedures meet the highest standards as set out in the rape crisis national service standards, and that survivors receive the exceptional quality of support they deserve.”
