A WHISTLEBLOWING and sex discrimination claim by a Dinnington woman against Britain’s biggest teachers’ union has been thrown out by an employment tribunal.

Charlotte Revely was a professional assistant working for the NASUWT union out of their South West Regional Centre in Exeter, Devon.

The 51 year old, from Dinnington, Somerset, worked for the union from January 2013 until August 2014.

She had accused the union’s Assistant General Secretary Jim Quigley of fostering a ‘hostile, sexist and discriminatory environment’ and alleged the union ‘turns a blind eye to discrimination’.

After a five day hearing the Exeter employment tribunal panel unanimously dismissed her whistleblowing and direct sex discrimination claims.

The tribunal had been told that eight women had made complaints against Mr Quigley personally but the panel said that was not an excessive number in a 20-year career in the union.

Employment judge Nicholas Roper said the evidence did not support claims of a discriminatory culture.

The panel said Ms Revely’s evidence was ‘inconsistent and contradictory’ whereas the respondent’s evidence was ‘consistent’.

The tribunal ruled that a male colleague became a regional official in the union because he applied for the job and was the successful applicant at interview – and said Ms Revely was not discriminated against sexually because she did not apply for the job.

The union’s General Secretary Chris Keates, whose union has more than 300,000 members, gave evidence and said: “The NASUWT has consistently sought to act professionally.”

She said: “Ms Revely alleges that I have been aware of a significant number of complaints against Jim Quigley over the last decade and chosen not to take action against any of them. This is wrong. When issues have been brought to my attention I have not hesitated to deal with them.”