A 'femme fatal' town clerk who was fired amid 'moral disapproval' of her relationship with a councillor as his wife died from Alzheimer's has been awarded more than £55,063 in damages. Jane Woodward was branded a 'gold-digger' in anonymous letters and town gossip before being dismissed from her post at Barnard Castle Town Council in 2019. Barnard Castle mayor John Blissett and councillor Sandra Moorhouse were were singled out for criticism in employment tribunal. A report by Judge Seamus Sweeney criticised the town council's treatment of Mrs Woodward and councillors Blissett and Moorhouse, who did not approve of Mrs Woodward's relationship with Mr Peat primarily from a moral standpoint. Judge Sweeney awarded Mrs Woodward £2,336 for unfair dismissal and £52,727 for disability discrimination, on the grounds the council had failed to make 'reasonable adjustment' for her depression and anxiety.

Source: Daily Mail March 30, 2021 17:56 UTC