1 year ago
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Image source, ALAMY
Baroness Falkner is the caput of the Equality and Human Rights Commission
By Lauren Moss
LGBT & Identity correspondent
The caput of Britain's equality watchdog is being investigated aft bullying and favoritism allegations were made by staff.
The claims against Baroness Falkner, and different members of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) board, were seen by Channel 4 News.
Baroness Falkner said she volition contiguous a "detailed rebuttal" to the investigators moving connected the case.
Some campaigners accidental the EHRC is not protecting transgender rights.
Last twelvemonth campaigners called for the EHRC's presumption arsenic an autarkic radical to beryllium revoked implicit a enactment astir its effect to Scotland's plans to marque it easier for radical to alteration their enactment connected their commencement certificate.
Further tensions person since emerged aft Baroness Falkner advised the UK authorities that it was worthy considering redefining sex arsenic "biological sex" successful the Equality Act, successful an country that she described arsenic "polarised and contentious".
A clarification to the Equality Act could marque it easier to exclude transgender radical from single-sex spaces.
Earlier this month, 30 LGBTQ+ charities led by Stonewall wrote to the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, saying the EHRC was a "failed institution" and "set connected a people that would pb straight to a rolling backmost of trans people's rights successful Great Britain".
Details of the allegations person not been shared by the watchdog, but Channel 4 News reported connected Tuesday that immoderate unit had said:
- there had been an "increase successful bullying, harassment and discrimination" wrong the EHRC
- impartiality and independency from authorities is "under threat"
- the EHRC seat and committee person been "assisting the authorities successful undermining trans rights by proposing amendments to the Equality Act".
Channel 4 News besides reported that 2 successful 5 LGBT unit near the EHRC past year.
Baroness Falkner said she took the allegations "very earnestly and with humility" and would beryllium co-operating fully.
"I person worked my full beingness to beforehand the principles of equality and quality rights, which are adjacent to my bosom arsenic a British-Pakistani pistillate successful nationalist life," she said.
"I effort to unrecorded those values, arsenic good arsenic to beforehand them."
Baroness Falkner said she has not yet been interviewed for the investigation, but intends to contiguous a "detailed rebuttal" and has "every assurance successful being exonerated".
EHRC main executive, Marcial Boo, said helium would not remark connected specifics portion the probe was ongoing, but added that the watchdog would "continue to support the rights of everyone successful Britain, including those with the protected characteristics of enactment and sex reassignment".
"We dainty allegations of bullying and harassment with the utmost seriousness."
A authorities spokesperson said it was alert of the interior probe and it would beryllium inappropriate to remark until it is completed.
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