Suspended Mid & East Antrim CEO initiates discrimination case against council

By Q Radio news

The Chief Executive of Mid & East Antrim Council has begun a discrimination case against her employers after she was suspended.

It's the latest controversy to envelop the council which is already under the spotlight following it's decision to withdraw workers from Larne port at the beginning of the year.

A statement from Anne Donaghy's lawyer Kevin Winters read:

"She wants to place on record her firm denial of all unsubstantiated allegations made against her in recent media reports

She is again deeply concerned to learn about a further example of what amounts to a systemic leakage of confidential  Council decision making to the media and other third parties.

The latest instance of such leaks relates to  a password protected confidential email communication sent to Councillors confirming a decision on her suspension.

Within a very short time of her receiving formal correspondence about her suspension the decision was posted on social media .

Throughout  this politically  driven agenda to unseat her as Chief Executive of Mid and East Antrim she has retained her dignity in the face of often heavy media intrusion into her family and private life.

To date there has been zero accountability on the part of the Council on the manner in which it has conducted itself on a series of issues all of which are the subject of pending disciplinary and other proceedings .

We can confirm our client as a disabled person has initiated proceedings against the Council within the Disability Discrimination Act 1995

She is claiming discrimination on grounds of her sex ,religious and political beliefs.

She is making this formal announcement now in response to the unjustified decision to suspend her at a time when she is on sick leave

Such decision making has been crass, insensitive and in many ways given the cynical deployment of the media by the Council,  utterly predictable .

She will contest the suspension decision issued today and is confident that once due process is complete she will return to her position as Chief Executive .

(Anne Donaghy CEO of Mid & East Antrim Council)