A professional football referee has lost her claim for unfair dismissal against the body that governs match officials in England, following an incident at a training camp where she alleged she was physically manhandled by a coach.
Tribunal Rejects Harassment and Dismissal Claims
Lisa Benn, a 34-year-old official who has refereed in the Women's Super League, brought the case against Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). She claimed she was 'physically manhandled and threatened' by former Premier League assistant referee and PGMOL coach, Steve Child, at a tournament in March 2023. The event was arranged to offer female referees experience with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
The employment tribunal, sitting in south London, issued a 32-page judgment dismissing the claim for unfair dismissal. It also rejected an allegation of harassment related to her sex. However, the panel upheld a claim for breach of contract concerning a right to pay in lieu of notice.
The Loughborough Training Camp Incident
The tribunal heard evidence that the incident occurred in Loughborough, Leicestershire, before the kick-off of a training camp match. Ms Benn stated that Mr Child grabbed her arm and 'forcefully' pushed her onto the pitch after she told him to 'chill'. She alleged his behaviour created an intimidating environment.
The panel accepted that the physical contact did have the effect of creating an intimidating atmosphere for Ms Benn. However, the majority concluded it was 'likely that Mr Child would have done exactly the same with a male referee' in the same circumstances, stemming from frustration over a delayed game start. The judgment noted Mr Child had previously shouted at mixed groups of officials, and found no facts to infer the incident was related to sex.
Ms Benn further claimed that after a brawl broke out at the end of the match, Mr Child told her she was 'bloody-minded' and that her 'card was marked'. The tribunal unanimously agreed he made the first comment but ruled he did not say the latter.
Dismissal Linked to FIFA List Removal
The central reason for Ms Benn's dismissal was her removal from the FIFA international referees list. Her employment with PGMOL, which began in January 2022, was conditional on her inclusion on that list. In August 2023, a meeting to determine nominations ranked her sixth, with FIFA accepting only the top five nominees put forward by the Football Association's referees committee.
The tribunal found that PGMOL acted within the 'band of reasonable responses' by dismissing her once she lost her FIFA listing. The panel stated her relatively lower rating compared to five other high-performing referees was the main reason for her 'dropping off' the list, not her complaint about Mr Child.
Claims for direct sex discrimination and unlawful deduction from wages were withdrawn prior to the ruling. A further hearing will be scheduled to decide the remedy for the successful breach of contract claim regarding notice pay.
