A Ministry of Justice investigation is under way after officials altered and redacted documents in an employment tribunal case involving a bisexual prison officer, the Guardian has learned. The tribunal found that Ben Plaistow, 41, experienced discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and unfair dismissal due to his sexuality during his time at HMP Woodhill.
Plaistow was subjected to a litany of abuse, including being called “poof”, “gay”, and “vermin”, being pushed and slapped, and having water squirted in his face. Colleagues also dug fingernails into his face, coloured the logo on his work bag pink, and smeared a pink fairy cake inside it. One colleague threatened to put him “on his arse”, and another told him he was “causing too many problems” for complaining.
The tribunal, led by Judge Michael Ord, found that the Ministry of Justice had failed to disclose documents, carried out “inappropriate redactions”, and altered documents. The judgment stated: “The credibility of the respondent’s evidence is sadly lacking. Two documents have been altered without explanation.” Seventeen officials gave evidence against Plaistow, including six prison governors and six prison officers, but the tribunal criticised their evidence as evasive and obfuscatory.
Plaistow was dismissed in 2016 after being accused of using unnecessary force on a prisoner, but CCTV footage and witness testimony showed he did not use excessive force. The tribunal found he was dismissed because of his complaints about harassment, not misconduct. It condemned the government’s legal department for redacting documents, calling the failure to give proper disclosure “inexcusable” and “designed to hide the truth”.
An MoJ spokesman said: “We do not tolerate any kind of discrimination in our prisons… A new staff network – Pride in Prison and Probation – was set up in 2016 to support workplace equality and now has 5,000 members. We have noted the judge’s decision and are considering next steps, and a separate internal review is ongoing.”
