Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise

Constructive dismissalEmployment lawEmployment tribunals

Former drag queen wins unfair dismissal case

by Personnel Today 22 Dec 2009
by Personnel Today 22 Dec 2009

A former drag queen has won an unfair dismissal case despite having claims of sexual harassment rejected.


Dean Awford, who allegedly refers to himself as “Dean the Queen”, sued his boss David Gray of furniture store Grays At The Northwick in Worcester for unfair dismissal and sexual orientation dismissal, according to the Telegraph.


Awford claimed that Gray called him a “faggot” and a “poof”, and constantly referred to him as “she” and “her”.


Judge David Kearsley ruled that Gray’s comment of “F*** off” to Awford constituted unfair dismissal. But Awford’s claims for sexual orientation dismissal and sexual harassment were rejected because of his character, his frankness about his own sexual activity, and the absence of complaints on his part during the period of employment.


Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Awford was awarded more than £30,000 including £118 in unauthorised deductions and £67 in holiday pay.


He said: “I am delighted that the unfair dismissal case was upheld. I suppose as far as Gray’s At The Northwick are concerned, I could be the Christmas fairy.”

Personnel Today

previous post
EDF Powerlink strike may close Tube over Christmas
next post
North Devon hospital workers vote for strike action

You may also like

Café worker awarded £22k after being too cold...

26 Aug 2025

Royal Mail eCourier drivers bring legal claim over...

26 Aug 2025

Exec hauled over coals for sleeping in sauna...

22 Aug 2025

Lidl enters agreement with EHRC to prevent sexual...

22 Aug 2025

X settles severance claims of former Twitter employees

22 Aug 2025

Nature charity unfairly dismisses employee in ‘woeful’ process

22 Aug 2025

Security manager at BBC unfairly dismissed after ‘misusing’...

21 Aug 2025

Reasonable adjustment failures for epilepsy lead to £445k...

21 Aug 2025

Midwife files belief claim after Trust reported social...

20 Aug 2025

‘Noisy and boisterous’ younger colleagues not age-related harassment

20 Aug 2025

  • Elevate your L&D strategy at the World of Learning 2025 SPONSORED | This October...Read more
  • How to employ a global workforce from the UK (webinar) WEBINAR | With an unpredictable...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Recruitment & retention
    • Wellbeing
    • Occupational Health
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise