Gay security guard wins £62,500 for sexual harassment from female colleague
Allwyn Rondeau, a gay security guard taunted by a female colleague who wobbled her breasts at him and teased him about homosexuality has received a £62,500 payout.
By Caroline Gammell
Allwyn Rondeau: The 47-year-old, who worked as a security guard at Heathrow Airport, is now being cared for by his partner Bernard Shearman Photo: INS
Mr Rondeau said his life had been "ruined" by Lucy Chilton and that he suffered depression and been forced to move house as a result. The 47-year-old, who worked as a security guard at Heathrow Airport, is now being cared for by his partner Bernard Shearman at their new home in Paignton, south Devon. Speaking about his compensation on Thursday, he said: "I'm pleased about it but it wasn't the money that was important.
"It was justice that I wanted, against Miss Chilton and the management, for what I have been through every day for the past two years. "I'm happy but I'm still angry because I know she has not been touched. She has been promoted. "We lost our house and had to move out of the area. "I had to endure one-and-a-half days of cross examination and when you're not very well it's not very nice to go through."
The employment tribunal in Reading heard how Mr Rondeau was ridiculed by Miss Chilton when they both worked at Terminals 1 and 4 for the security firm G4S in 2006. In one incident she put his hand on her breasts and taunted him for being homosexual, saying he did not know how to handle a woman in bed. On another occasion, she wobbled her breasts at him and said he "wouldn't know what to do with a woman anyway."
Mr Rondeau, who was also given the nickname "batty boy", did not initially report Miss Chilton's behaviour, but she ended up making a complaint about him. She reported him for inappropriate sexual behaviour, claiming he exposed his erect penis through his underpants to her. This was later rejected following an investigation and he decided to complain about her.
He told the panel how he was "frogmarched" from work and stripped of his pass after she falsely accused him of harassing her, but she remained at work while she was being investigated. Mr Rondeau successfully sued Miss Chilton and boss Brian Johnson for discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation for the initial harassment and the different ways in which his and Miss Chilton's complaints were handled.
The panel heard how Mr Rondeau went from being a sociable, outgoing character to a withdrawn and depressed individual who barely leaves his bedroom. Mr Shearman, a former London Underground train driver, who medically retired from his job with stress, is his registered carer.
Employment Tribunal Judge Richard Byrne said: "The tribunal is satisfied that Miss Chilton's conduct in placing the claimant's hand on her breast and then having pushed his hand away, saying "you would not know what to do with a woman anyway" was conduct on the grounds of sexual orientation. "There is no other logical interpretation of her comment."
Dr Neil Brener, a consultant psychiatrist at the Priory Hospital, in north London, wrote of the effect of events on the claimant: "Clearly Mr Rondeau has been through a very traumatic experience. "He feels he has been treat like a criminal, even though he has been exonerated. "This lady's attitude severely distressed Mr Rondeau and left him quite traumatised."
A spokesman for G4S Aviation Services said: “We can confirm that the employment tribunal hearing concerning Mr Allwyn Rondeau has now been concluded and Mr Rondeau will be receiving compensation. “G4S Aviation Services operates to the highest industry standards and will continue to ensure that these high standards are maintained.”
