Serpo
9th May 2013, 03:58 AM
This one takes the cake,unbelievable............
'I cannot stand Jewish people': Lawyer almost loses her career over office rant about queue-jumping man at medical centre
Danielle Morris, 34, made the remark to a colleague during a conversation
Mother-of-two complained a Jewish man jumped queue at medical centre
She made comments in presence of a Jewish cashier at her law practice
This prompted two legal tribunals and a huge legal bill for Morris
By Anthony Bond (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Anthony+Bond+)
PUBLISHED: 15:49 GMT, 8 May 2013 | UPDATED: 07:32 GMT, 9 May 2013
Comments (737) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321362/I-stand-Jewish-people-Lawyer-loses-career-office-rant-queue-jumping-man-medical-centre.html#comments)
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http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/08/article-2321362-19AD4D2D000005DC-368_306x423.jpg Fined: Lawyer Danielle Morris, pictured, said 'I cannot stand Jewish people' during an office rant
A female lawyer who blurted out: 'I cannot stand Jewish people' during an office rant has been left with a huge legal bill after a discrimination case was brought against her by a former colleague.
Danielle Morris, 34, was subject of a three-and-a-half year investigation in front of two legal tribunals and almost lost her career after she made the remark during an office conversation.
The mother-of-two complained a Jewish man had jumped the queue at a medical centre while she was waiting to take one of her children to see a doctor.
Later she relayed the incident in the presence of a Jewish cashier at her law practice in Rossendale, Lancashire.
After making her comment, the unnamed cashier said: 'Please do not say that' but Mrs Morris added: 'I don’t care, I cannot stand them.'
Three months after the incident in December 2009, the cashier left the law firm - then brought a racial and religious claim against Mrs Morris and the practice and won an undisclosed sum in damages.
Mrs Morris herself was then hauled before the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority after a further complaint of discrimination by the cashier.
It emerged the matter 'snowballed' despite the lawyer trying to apologise on three occasions - but the cashier refused to meet with her.
Yesterday, in a ruling made public for the first time, it emerged Mrs Morris who now works two days a week at another law firm has been fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £5,250 in costs following a hearing in London.
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Curbs on cheap alcohol and plain cigarette packets shelved but Tory MP warns against becoming the party of 'booze and fags' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321316/Curbs-cheap-alcohol-plain-cigarette-packets-shelved-Tory-MP-warns-party-booze-fags.html)
Her own legal costs are thought to be £1,000 and the incident is believed to have cost in total tens of thousands of pounds in further solicitors' costs and compensation.
Earlier the SRA was told the incident occurred after Mrs Morris had been made redundant from her job as assistant solicitor at accident claims firm Mulderiggs based in Rossendale, Lancashire and was working her notice.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/08/article-2321362-19AD56AD000005DC-733_634x414.jpg Probe: Danielle Morris, 34, endured a three and a half year investigation in front of two legal tribunals and almost lost her career after she made the off-the-cuff remark. This is the medical centre which she attended
Trouble began after she attended the Bardoc medical centre in Bury with her baby. The hearing was told a man dressed in Orthodox Jewish attire 'caused a scene' at the surgery and as a result was seen first by a doctor.
Back at the law firm Mrs Morris relayed the incident to a receptionist she shared her office with and said: 'I cannot stand Jewish people.'
The cashier who also shared the office having joined the firm just three months earlier overheard the rant and said: 'Please do not say that.'
But Mrs Morris went on: 'I don’t care, I cannot stand them ever since an incident at Bardoc.'
The cashier known as Mrs S made a formal complaint to the firm’s senior partner but left the company ahead of an offer of an apology from the practice if 'any offence had been unwittingly caused.'
In May 2011 a four-day employment tribunal was held in which Mrs Morris and the firm was found to have racially and religiously discriminated against Mrs S and she was awarded damages.
But in May last year Mrs Morris was then brought before the SRA following a further complaint of discrimination by Mrs S about the incident.
Initially she denied making the comment about Jewish people but her lawyer Gareth Edwards later admitted it was 'unintentionally discriminatory remark which arose from foolishness and ignorance, not wickedness.'
Mr Edwards said Mrs Morris had tried to apologise to Mrs S but it had not been accepted.
He said his client had 'not been aware' of the long history of the persecution of Jewish people.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/08/article-2321362-19AD569C000005DC-978_634x405.jpg Anger: The mother-of-two had been frustrated after complaining a Jewish man had jumped the queue at a medical centre, pictured, whilst she was waiting to take one of her children to see a doctor
Mr Edwards added: 'Because of her age she has had limited direct contact with those who had been familiar with the discovery of the horrors of the holocaust or the attitudes which had led to these events.
'She now has a greater understanding of the offence she had caused and the context in which her remarks could be seen.
‘This was not a case where she held extreme views or had intended to cause offence. She has mainstream moderate views.
'Many people including solicitors make remarks in haste they would later regret. This incident happened several years ago and she has had the matter hanging over her for all this time.'
Mrs Morris who now works part time as a conveyancing lawyer at a practice in Oldham told the hearing she had 'plenty of time to reflect on what happened' and insisted she had no intention of insulting Mrs S.
She said she did not know Mrs S was Jewish and had made the remarks 'without thinking in a private environment where she thought it would safe to discuss it.'
The tribunal was told she had modest means and lived in a house worth £105,000 with equity of just £30,000. She was working part time as she could not afford the £500 costs in childcare. Her husband who works as maintenance technician earns £20,000 a year.
In making its decision on April 9, SRA panel chairman Ken Duncan said the panel accepted Mrs Morris had tried to apologise on three occasions but criticised her for not saying sorry on the day she made the remark and for not writing a personal letter of apology to Mrs S.
He also criticised her for initially denying making the remarks.
Mr Duncan said: 'What she had said was inappropriate and offensive however it occurred on one occasion only. This was not a situation in which there had been repeated or sustained discrimination.
'The tribunal took into account the fact that the events in issue had taken place over three years ago and she had been under the threat of potentially losing her career for that period.
'The tribunal accepted the remarks made were foolish and ignorant rather than malicious.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321362/I-stand-Jewish-people-Lawyer-loses-career-office-rant-queue-jumping-man-medical-centre.html#ixzz2SmvXCkmw
'I cannot stand Jewish people': Lawyer almost loses her career over office rant about queue-jumping man at medical centre
Danielle Morris, 34, made the remark to a colleague during a conversation
Mother-of-two complained a Jewish man jumped queue at medical centre
She made comments in presence of a Jewish cashier at her law practice
This prompted two legal tribunals and a huge legal bill for Morris
By Anthony Bond (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Anthony+Bond+)
PUBLISHED: 15:49 GMT, 8 May 2013 | UPDATED: 07:32 GMT, 9 May 2013
Comments (737) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321362/I-stand-Jewish-people-Lawyer-loses-career-office-rant-queue-jumping-man-medical-centre.html#comments)
Share (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321362/I-stand-Jewish-people-Lawyer-loses-career-office-rant-queue-jumping-man-medical-centre.html#socialLinks)
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/08/article-2321362-19AD4D2D000005DC-368_306x423.jpg Fined: Lawyer Danielle Morris, pictured, said 'I cannot stand Jewish people' during an office rant
A female lawyer who blurted out: 'I cannot stand Jewish people' during an office rant has been left with a huge legal bill after a discrimination case was brought against her by a former colleague.
Danielle Morris, 34, was subject of a three-and-a-half year investigation in front of two legal tribunals and almost lost her career after she made the remark during an office conversation.
The mother-of-two complained a Jewish man had jumped the queue at a medical centre while she was waiting to take one of her children to see a doctor.
Later she relayed the incident in the presence of a Jewish cashier at her law practice in Rossendale, Lancashire.
After making her comment, the unnamed cashier said: 'Please do not say that' but Mrs Morris added: 'I don’t care, I cannot stand them.'
Three months after the incident in December 2009, the cashier left the law firm - then brought a racial and religious claim against Mrs Morris and the practice and won an undisclosed sum in damages.
Mrs Morris herself was then hauled before the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority after a further complaint of discrimination by the cashier.
It emerged the matter 'snowballed' despite the lawyer trying to apologise on three occasions - but the cashier refused to meet with her.
Yesterday, in a ruling made public for the first time, it emerged Mrs Morris who now works two days a week at another law firm has been fined £2,500 and ordered to pay £5,250 in costs following a hearing in London.
More...
Retired sailor, 97, drowned himself in harbour after being diagnosed with terminal cancer (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321218/Retired-sailor-97-drowned-harbour-diagnosed-terminal-cancer.html)
Curbs on cheap alcohol and plain cigarette packets shelved but Tory MP warns against becoming the party of 'booze and fags' (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321316/Curbs-cheap-alcohol-plain-cigarette-packets-shelved-Tory-MP-warns-party-booze-fags.html)
Her own legal costs are thought to be £1,000 and the incident is believed to have cost in total tens of thousands of pounds in further solicitors' costs and compensation.
Earlier the SRA was told the incident occurred after Mrs Morris had been made redundant from her job as assistant solicitor at accident claims firm Mulderiggs based in Rossendale, Lancashire and was working her notice.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/08/article-2321362-19AD56AD000005DC-733_634x414.jpg Probe: Danielle Morris, 34, endured a three and a half year investigation in front of two legal tribunals and almost lost her career after she made the off-the-cuff remark. This is the medical centre which she attended
Trouble began after she attended the Bardoc medical centre in Bury with her baby. The hearing was told a man dressed in Orthodox Jewish attire 'caused a scene' at the surgery and as a result was seen first by a doctor.
Back at the law firm Mrs Morris relayed the incident to a receptionist she shared her office with and said: 'I cannot stand Jewish people.'
The cashier who also shared the office having joined the firm just three months earlier overheard the rant and said: 'Please do not say that.'
But Mrs Morris went on: 'I don’t care, I cannot stand them ever since an incident at Bardoc.'
The cashier known as Mrs S made a formal complaint to the firm’s senior partner but left the company ahead of an offer of an apology from the practice if 'any offence had been unwittingly caused.'
In May 2011 a four-day employment tribunal was held in which Mrs Morris and the firm was found to have racially and religiously discriminated against Mrs S and she was awarded damages.
But in May last year Mrs Morris was then brought before the SRA following a further complaint of discrimination by Mrs S about the incident.
Initially she denied making the comment about Jewish people but her lawyer Gareth Edwards later admitted it was 'unintentionally discriminatory remark which arose from foolishness and ignorance, not wickedness.'
Mr Edwards said Mrs Morris had tried to apologise to Mrs S but it had not been accepted.
He said his client had 'not been aware' of the long history of the persecution of Jewish people.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/08/article-2321362-19AD569C000005DC-978_634x405.jpg Anger: The mother-of-two had been frustrated after complaining a Jewish man had jumped the queue at a medical centre, pictured, whilst she was waiting to take one of her children to see a doctor
Mr Edwards added: 'Because of her age she has had limited direct contact with those who had been familiar with the discovery of the horrors of the holocaust or the attitudes which had led to these events.
'She now has a greater understanding of the offence she had caused and the context in which her remarks could be seen.
‘This was not a case where she held extreme views or had intended to cause offence. She has mainstream moderate views.
'Many people including solicitors make remarks in haste they would later regret. This incident happened several years ago and she has had the matter hanging over her for all this time.'
Mrs Morris who now works part time as a conveyancing lawyer at a practice in Oldham told the hearing she had 'plenty of time to reflect on what happened' and insisted she had no intention of insulting Mrs S.
She said she did not know Mrs S was Jewish and had made the remarks 'without thinking in a private environment where she thought it would safe to discuss it.'
The tribunal was told she had modest means and lived in a house worth £105,000 with equity of just £30,000. She was working part time as she could not afford the £500 costs in childcare. Her husband who works as maintenance technician earns £20,000 a year.
In making its decision on April 9, SRA panel chairman Ken Duncan said the panel accepted Mrs Morris had tried to apologise on three occasions but criticised her for not saying sorry on the day she made the remark and for not writing a personal letter of apology to Mrs S.
He also criticised her for initially denying making the remarks.
Mr Duncan said: 'What she had said was inappropriate and offensive however it occurred on one occasion only. This was not a situation in which there had been repeated or sustained discrimination.
'The tribunal took into account the fact that the events in issue had taken place over three years ago and she had been under the threat of potentially losing her career for that period.
'The tribunal accepted the remarks made were foolish and ignorant rather than malicious.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2321362/I-stand-Jewish-people-Lawyer-loses-career-office-rant-queue-jumping-man-medical-centre.html#ixzz2SmvXCkmw