A college lecturer has been awarded more than £177,000 in compensation after an employment tribunal found she was subjected to disability harassment and discrimination by colleagues at MidKent College.
Dr Sharon Turton, who has Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD, was mocked by a co-worker who tapped her head while telling students she had “mental problems”. The same colleague also spread fabricated claims that Dr Turton had made racist remarks about a student’s Traveller heritage.
The tribunal ruled that three complaints of harassment related to disability and two of direct disability discrimination were well-founded. The payout includes £53,555 for loss of earnings, £27,942 for future loss of earnings, and £5,000 in aggravated damages for “high-handed, malicious and insulting” conduct.
Dr Turton, 65, said she was forced to take voluntary redundancy in August 2022 after being signed off with stress-related illness. She told HR she was “utterly traumatised” and could not continue. A medical expert stated she had intended to work until 70 but the ordeal led to severe PTSD.
The college had launched an investigation after a student was told that Dr Turton deleted her coursework because of her family background. The judge described this as “fabricated information”. Dr Turton said the false claim “pushed her over the edge”.
