Former Employee Sues McLaren’s Boss Over ‘Gay’ Allegations
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Jul 24, 2008
Peter Boland, said that relations with the millionaire racing chief broke down “dramatically” after the claims were circulated among colleagues.
But when he complained about victimisation he was warned that things could turn “nasty” if he tried to take on the racing operation, whose drivers include British world title hope Lewis Hamilton, it was alleged.
Mr Boland, who was dismissed from his £32,000-a-year job last September, claimed that the rumours, spread by management, led to unwanted advances from a male colleague.
Mr Boland, of Stowmarket, is claiming unfair dismissal, discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, victimisation and post-termination discrimination against Mr Dennis and three companies controlled by him.
A preliminary tribunal hearing was told that Mr Boland was employed by Absolute Taste, a catering firm serving VIP guests at Formula One events, but seconded to Greyscape a private company which flies Mr Dennis’s private jet G-Reys.
As Mr Dennis’s personal air steward, he said he was treated effectively as an employee of McLaren.
Andrew Allen, representing Mr Boland, told the hearing that his client was first told in May of last year that Mr Dennis had decided he was no longer needed.
“There is an allegation that the previous good relationship between Mr Dennis and the claimant (Mr Boland) dramatically changed because of the perception of his sexual orientation,” he said.
He added that his client had been “thrown out” of a meeting with Mr Dennis when he raised his complaints.
Mr Boland was finally told in a letter in September that he was being dismissed because relations between him and his employers had “broken down”.
Jane Mulcahy, representing these companies, told the hearing that Mr Boland was sacked after he fell asleep on the plane while on duty and was also rude.
Miss Mulcahy denied that Mr Boland’s sacking had anything to do with rumours about his sexuality, adding: ‘Relations had broken down and he would have been dismissed in any event.’
Mr Boland was employed by Absolute Taste - which is owned by Mr Dennis and chef Lyndy Redding - to work on board the jet.
Referring to an incident in April last year, Mr Allen said: ‘Mr Boland was complaining to the pilots that there was a false perception within the organisation relating to his sexual orientation.
‘He had had an unwelcome approach from a male employee.
‘He says he had been harrassed by that employee because of the false perception of his sexual orientation that had been promoted within the company.’
However, Miss Mulcahy denied this happened, saying: “Mr Boland says he told the pilot on the plane that he thought people perceived him as gay.”
“There was never a perception that Mr Boland was gay and Mr Boland raised it for the first time in a meeting with Mr Dennis in June 2007.”
“He has never named the man who he says made this approach.”
Mr Boland, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, claims that when he was fired in September last year he was not initially paid his three months notice pay.
He says this was also because his bosses thought he was gay.
Miss Mulcahy said this is strongly disputed and said it was because Mr Boland still had use of a company car.
A full hearing is not due to be held until January because of the timing of the Formula One season when Mr Dennis, who will be called as a witness, would be ”jetting about”.
