By Simon Jack & Dearbail Jordan
Business exertion and concern reporter, BBC News
The erstwhile brag of concern radical elephantine the CBI says his "reputation has been wholly destroyed" aft being fired implicit complaints astir his behaviour.
Tony Danker acknowledged helium had made immoderate unit consciousness "very uncomfortable", adding: "I apologise for that."
But helium said his sanction had been wrongly associated with abstracted claims, including rape, that allegedly occurred astatine the CBI earlier helium joined.
The CBI did not remark but has said helium was dismissed connected beardown ineligible ground.
In his archetypal interrogation since being fired connected 11 April, Mr Danker said his termination missive had cited 4 reasons for dismissal:
- Organising a concealed and backstage karaoke enactment for 15 radical aft a Christmas enactment event
- Viewing the Instagram accounts of CBI staff
- Sending non-work related messages to unit connected enactment messaging platforms
- Inviting inferior unit to breakfasts, lunches oregon one-on-one meetings
"I person ne'er utilized sexually suggestive connection with radical astatine the CBI," helium said. "You know, determination was an incidental idiosyncratic raised a ailment astir unwanted contact, which was verbal contact.
"There was ne'er immoderate carnal contact. I've ne'er had immoderate carnal contact. I've ne'er utilized immoderate intersexual language. I've ne'er propositioned anybody," Mr Danker said.
Sexual harassment is unwanted behaviour of a intersexual nature, says Alison Loveday, an employment lawyer astatine Lockett Loveday McMahon Solicitors.
"It indispensable person either violated someone's dignity, whether it was intended oregon not, oregon created an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating oregon violative situation for them, whether it was intended oregon not.
Mr Danker accepted that immoderate unit whitethorn person recovered his attack astatine enactment uncomfortable and apologised for that - but helium didn't judge his contiguous sacking was warranted.
Instead, helium claimed helium had been made "the autumn guy" for a wider situation engulfing the CBI.
The lobby radical is facing a fig of claims from 2019 including cause usage arsenic good arsenic superior intersexual battle which is being investigated by City of London police.
Mr Danker said his estimation has been "totally trashed" due to the fact that these claims emerged a substance of weeks aft the CBI disclosed that it was looking into abstracted allegations of misconduct against him.
The CBI has said Mr Danker's dismissal followed an autarkic probe into circumstantial complaints of workplace misconduct against him.
Mr Danker admits that helium did look astatine the Instagram profiles and stories of "a precise tiny fig of CBI staff, men and women".
"The CBI already knew that immoderate radical thought that that was intrusive, and I get that," helium said.
"I get that radical felt that it was wrong, that I was looking astatine their admittedly wholly nationalist Instagram stories", helium added.
Mr Danker who joined the CBI successful November 2020 besides acknowledged helium had messaged astir 200 idiosyncratic unit members, but said it was portion of gathering "rapport" during lockdown arsenic good arsenic with colleagues who proceed to enactment from home.
He said these messages said things specified arsenic ''hi, however are you? How was your weekend? Show maine pictures of your dogs oregon your babies".
But helium believed immoderate radical had thought the messages inappropriate, and they hadn't realised Mr Danker had "been doing this to everyone to effort and physique rapport."
Finally, helium said that the invitations to inferior unit for lunches and breakfasts were portion of a CBI mentoring strategy called the Shadowing Programme. Mr Danker said some antheral and pistillate employees were invited by Mr Danker to sermon their careers.
In Mr Danker's recollection, the "private" karaoke enactment came aft radical suggested it aft a CBI Christmas enactment successful 2021.
Mr Danker said helium booked a country for 15 radical which was "the largest I could get".
"I emailed everybody saying 'here's the address', nary cameras allowed', due to the fact that everybody said to maine 'I don't privation to beryllium filmed singing karaoke'," helium said.
Asked wherefore helium has chosen to talk publicly, Mr Danker said he'd alternatively not speech to the media.
But helium said: "It is conscionable not good to propulsion idiosyncratic nether the autobus and inquire them to beryllium the autumn feline erstwhile their full estimation is destroyed."
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