ACE reaches settlement over harassment case

Arts Council England (ACE) has confirmed that it has reached a settlement with a former member of staff whose claim of being harassed in the workplace over her gender critical views was upheld by an employment tribunal.

Denise Fahmy raised claims of harassment and victimisation against ACE after questioning during an internal meeting held in April 2022 why a grant to the LGB Alliance had been withdrawn.

In June an employment tribunal upheld her claim of harassment while dismissing the claim of victimisation.

ACE has said that an agreement has now been reached which resolves the case.

An ACE spokesperson said: "We respect the findings of the judgment and are sorry that despite the actions we took at the time, a member of our team experienced harassment at work. 

"We are committed to making sure that similar instances do not happen again, and that we are an organisation where every staff member, no matter who they are, or what beliefs they hold, is treated with dignity and respect, and ultimately feel they belong." 

In a statement posted on her Crowd Justice web page, which she used to raise funds towards the legal costs of the claim, Fahmy said: "Many people working in the arts are deeply affected by the intolerance within the sector. 

"I hope my case has helped shine a light on that. I will continue to fight for freedom of expression in the arts."