A SCOTS former civil servant is looking to take the Scottish Government to an employment tribunal over his dismissal – which came after a slew of alleged abuse about his gender views.
Kenny McBride alleges that he was terminated from his role in the Government due to views he posted on an internal social networking site regarding sex and gender.
The 45-year-old from Glasgow now fears a growing tide against him and has sought legal representation with specialist employment lawyers Didlaw.
Kenny alleges that his concerns surrounding direct discrimination were never investigated and felt he was left with no choice other than to pursue the Government in court.
Currently unemployed, Kenny claims that he was dismissed from his post with Transport Scotland early this year following a question he asked on the Government’s social site Yammer.
He asked whether there were plans for Scotland to introduce anything like the Sex Equality and Equity Network (SEEN) put in place at Westminster.
The post from last December was immediately targeted by staffers and civil servants who Kenny claims sent a barrage of abuse towards him.
He alleges that despite pleas to avoid a public slanging match there were many people who were quick to label him a trans exclusionary radical feminist (TERF).
Kenny even alleges that a Scottish minister claimed TERFs and those with gender-critical beliefs should be treated the same way as anti-semites.
Shortly after his post on Yammer, Kenny received a phone call from the Government who claimed that he had been sending harassing emails to people.
This occurred whilst ongoing training was given to civil servants including Kenny who were told at tax-payer funded awareness sessions that ‘in order for everyone to bring themselves to work everyone should leave their own beliefs at home’.
Kenny alleges he was also told to quieten down when he raised issues with people being told to put their pronouns in their email signature.
Now, he has set up a Crowdjustice fundraiser this week where he hopes to reach a target of £85,000 to allow him to go the distance against the Scottish Government.
His post on Crowdjustice reads: “I raised concerns about several issues including harassment and direct discrimination against me related to my protected beliefs.
“It is not clear that these issues were ever even properly investigated.
“In December I posted on Yammer about the Sex Equality and Equity Network (SEEN), a new affinity network for sex realists in the Civil Service.
“I received a series of extremely hostile comments saying that views like this were not welcome in the Scottish Government.
“One person even told me it was his duty to challenge any expression of sex realist beliefs as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to ‘diversity’.
“I raised a complaint about these hostile comments and less than a day later I was dismissed, my complaint was never addressed.
“I have sought a resolution to this at every stage, I have asked that some of the damage that has already been done be undone but the Scottish Government has refused to take action.
“Now my only remaining option is to take the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland to an employment tribunal.
“My goal is to force the Scottish Government to end its hostility to civil servants who believe that sex matters and also to compensate me for the loss of employment and the discrimination I suffered.
“There is no guarantee of success, the Scottish Government has a lot more resources with which to fight this case than I do.
“I don’t want to have to ask for your money to help fight this case. I never wanted to have to fight this case at all. I don’t believe I have much choice though.
“A national government should not be able to discriminate against workers in this way and staying silent is not an option.”
Speaking today, Kenny said: “I posted on Yammer and specified I didn’t wish for a public slanging match.
“Lots of people immediately stated they hoped it would never happen in Scotland, I was polite and reasonable in my responses.
“I then got a call stating I’d been sending harassing emails to fellow staffers and civil servants.
“I was told by two separate people that they would investigate the grievance but it was never looked into.
“Whilst this was ongoing we were taking part in awareness sessions where we were told that for everyone to bring themselves to work, everyone should leave their [gender critical] beliefs at home.
“People were allowed to use the word TERF beside or in place of gender critical and I raised formal complaints about this but because I was a temp I was told nothing could be done.
“I complained about being harrassed and the next thing I knew I was being told that my contract was over.”
“I heard a Scottish Government minister suggest that gender critical people be treated like anti-semites.
“I then asked about the pronouns in email signatures and suddenly was told that my contract with the Scottish Government was over.
“I’ve now raised a victimisation complaint alongside the tribunal as I believe I was mistreated due to my views.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson today (THUR) said: “We do not comment on live legal proceedings.
“The Scottish Government is strongly committed to equality and inclusion and to being a world leading, diverse employer.”
