Woman backed by JK Rowling subjected to 'witch hunt' - tribunal

Sara Morrison has brought a case against Belfast Film Festival where she worked

A woman who is taking a discrimination case against her former employer over her views on sex and gender has said she was subjected to a "witch hunt" by members of the LGBTQ community.

Sara Morrison, who worked as an inclusion and audience development coordinator for Belfast Film Festival (BFF), believes that people cannot change their biological sex.

During the second day of her employment tribunal against the BFF, she described how her participation at a Let Women Speak rally in 2023 led to a "coordinated letter-writing campaign" of complaints to the organisation.

She said one of those complaints was made by the Belfast-born actor Lola Petticrew.

The BFF later launched an investigation into Ms Morrison's participation at the rally. She went off sick citing stress and ultimately resigned.

The organisation has denied Ms Morrison's claim of discrimination and constructive dismissal.

Ms Morrison, who has received funding for her case from Harry Potter author JK Rowling, had given a speech at the rally in Belfast, during which she spoke about the need to "keep men out of women's spaces".

She described the public reaction to her involvement in the event to the tribunal.

"I believe it was a witch hunt," she said during cross-examination.

'Absolutely unbelievable'

The tribunal heard that concerns were then raised within the BFF about Ms Morrison's ability to hold her views while, as an inclusion coordinator, maintaining a positive relationship with the organisation's LGBTQ allies.

A barrister for the BFF told the tribunal that Petticrew was among those who had written "a very pointed and clear complaint" about Ms Morrison to the organisation.

In it, the actor, who is non-binary, questioned how "someone who is known to hold transphobic views" could also hold the position as inclusion coordinator with the BFF, and that they found this "absolutely unbelievable".

Ms Morrison told the tribunal that people had formed an opinion about her without doing any research and that she was in fact "more inclusive".

"They view me as anti-trans," she said.

"I'm about safeguarding women and children. That doesn't make me anti-trans."

'Aggressive vendetta'

Sean Doherty, barrister for the BFF, told the tribunal that after complaints were made to the organisation and it indicated it would investigate, a decision was made to remove Ms Morrison from working on a Pride on the Big Screen event.

The tribunal heard Ms Morrison had agreed to be taken off the project.

Mr Doherty said the BFF had been informed by the LGBTQ community that there would be protests of a boycott of the event as a consequence to Ms Morrison's participation in the rally.

He added that suggestions to limit Ms Morrison's work with "trans or queer groups" were "in accordance" with her contract.

Mr Doherty also outlined how the organisation's director Michele Devlin had encouraged Ms Morrison to remove herself from social media in a bid to "protect" her from online abuse.

He cited a message she had written in which she claimed there had been "an aggressive vendetta against Sara".

He detailed further communications between the pair, which he said demonstrated Ms Devlin's duty of care towards Ms Morrison.

The tribunal continues