Gender-critical woman loses employment case: Sara Morrison's claims of discrimination by Belfast Film Festival based on trans views dismissed

Sara Morrison took the Belfast Film Festival to a tribunal last year, arguing ex-bosses had discriminated against her gender-critical political beliefs.

A panel has now dismissed her claims, stating that while an investigation into her conduct could have caused “considerable distress and may have contributed to her perception that [the festival] was not adequately supporting her”, it did not amount to the creation of “an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for her”.

It also concluded that Ms Morrison’s “political opinion was not the reason, nor any part of the reason” for treatment she alleged amounted to direct discrimination.

Once the organisation’s inclusion and audience development coordinator, Ms Morrison appeared at a Let Women Speak event in Belfast in April 2023, run by English activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull.

During the rally, which the former festival employee said she attended in a personal capacity to make a speech about women’s rights, Ms Morrison criticised several bodies in the feminist sphere in Northern Ireland, including partner organisations of the film festival.

The event was protested by LGBT groups, some of whom complained they could no longer work with her.

The festival launched an investigation into Ms Morrison in summer 2023, which could have eventually resulted in her facing disciplinary action. She left work before that investigation was complete, citing stress, and subsequently resigned; she alleged she was discriminated against due to her beliefs on sex and gender.

A fortnight-long tribunal in November last year saw twists and turns including two failed attempts by Ms Morrison’s legal team to get members of the judging panel to recuse themselves from the case, while the festival’s co-founder, ex-IRA hunger striker turned playwright Laurence McKeown, likened her presence at the rally to him sharing a platform with dissident republicans who push for armed struggle – though he rapidly rowed back on his words.

A written judgement released within the last few days found that under the terms of her contract, Ms Morrison should have sought the festival’s permission to speak at the rally but didn’t do so.

The judging panel points out that the festival’s managing director, Michele Devlin, appeared in a Sinn Fein election campaign video, but got the organisation’s board to okay it in advance.

During the tribunal Ms Morrison’s KC suggested that emails between one of the festival’s board, noted filmmaker Mark Cousins, and other members discussing Ms Morrison were implicitly calling for her sacking. That was rejected by the panel, who concluded they didn’t seek “termination of employment” but instead the “acceleration of a process already under way” in terms of the investigation.

In a statement after the judgement was issued Ms Morrison, who has received backing from author JK Rowling, said she is considering her options.

“This case matters beyond me,” she stated. “It is the first time a Northern Irish tribunal has considered a gender-critical belief discrimination case. It will not be the last. I believe the tribunal got this wrong.”

In a statement to the BBC, the film festival welcomed the judgement while saying it is “committed to fair employment practices and to maintaining a respectful and inclusive working environment”.