Northern Ireland

Suspended chief executive Anne Donaghy takes bias case against council

PROBE: Mid and East Antrim Borough Council chief executive Anne Donaghy, pictured at an event earlier this year
PROBE: Mid and East Antrim Borough Council chief executive Anne Donaghy, pictured at an event earlier this year PROBE: Mid and East Antrim Borough Council chief executive Anne Donaghy, pictured at an event earlier this year

THE suspended chief executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is to take legal action against the local authority.

Anne Donaghy, who has been on sick leave in recent months, was placed on precautionary suspension ahead of an independent investigation into claims of bullying and harassment.

The chief executive was suspended from her position as an investigation takes place into allegations of bullying at the controversy-hit local authority.

The suspension - which was circulated to councillors in a password-protected confidential email - is the latest incident to rock the council, and come in the wake of a police raid on its Ballymena headquarters in October and a BBC Spotlight investigation broadcast this week on the matter.

The search was part of investigation into suspected offences of misconduct in public office and under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The council has been under increasing scrutiny following a controversial decision in February to remove its staff from Larne Harbour over fears of a loyalist paramilitary threat against workers carrying out post-Brexit checks on animal and food products from Great Britain.

A PSNI assessment found no indication of any threat to staff.

Following news of Ms Donaghy's suspension, it emerged that she plans to take legal action against Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for alleged "discrimination on grounds of her sex, religious and political beliefs".

In a statement, solicitor Kevin Winters said Ms Donaghy 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".

He said: "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.

"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."

Mr Winters' added that Ms Donaghy is "confident that once due process is complete she will return to her position as chief executive".

A previous NIPSA survey of Mid and East Antrim staff found 61 percent of respondents had experienced bullying.

The union's acting assistant secretary, Alan Law, said they were "disappointed that we were not briefed on these developments" regarding the suspension, and urged for an update to be provided to staff on the situation.

Meanwhile, welcoming the investigation into bullying claims, SDLP Ballymena councillor Eugene Reid said it "should provide space to establish what has gone on behind the scenes".

He added: "I hope that it can be progressed quickly so that we can begin to put these matters behind us and move on. Allegations of bullying and harassment are extremely serious, particularly given the large numbers of staff expressing experience of these issues. Nobody should be subjected to this in their workplace and if it exists within our council it must be rooted out and addressed."