Church accountant sacked by Catholic diocese after ‘witch hunt’ for being an atheist wins £60k payout

A church accountant has successfully sued a Catholic diocese after she was discriminated against for being an ‘atheist’.

Cambridge University-educated Janet Parker, 55, fell out with her boss after she asked for leave to care for her newly adopted daughter.

When her request for flexible working was refused, she complained, adding that ‘the Catholic Church does not have a blemish-free history when it comes to adopted children or children in care’.

‘I hoped that this kind of prejudice had been eradicated long ago,’ she said. ‘Maybe I am wrong.’

Following this, Miss Parker was subjected to a ‘witch hunt’ investigation by managers at the Clifton Diocese for alleged professional negligence which led to her being sacked from her £60,000-a-year-role.

She has now won claims against them after a tribunal ruled the church organisation had discriminated against her, harassed her and then unfairly sacked her because she was not religious.

Miss Parker claimed the diocese’s approach to her flexible working request was ‘tainted by negative views of adoption, emanating from the religious beliefs of its staff’.

Details of Miss Parker’s tribunal claim emerged at a disciplinary hearing conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) into abusive messages she sent to diocese Chief Operating Officer, Lyn Murray, after her dismissal.

Cambridge University-educated Janet Parker, 55, fell out with her boss after she asked for leave to care for her newly adopted daughter

Diocese Chief Operating Officer, Lyn Murray ‘did not react well’ to Miss Parker’s request for leave, a tribunal heard 

According to the full judgement – which has not been made public – the hearing in Bristol was told that she had worked at the Diocese – which covers the West of England and has assets exceeding £200 million – from February 2015 until her dismissal in October 2021.

Miss Parker – described by the tribunal as a ‘very intelligent, articulate, and able woman’ – had been a chartered accountant since 1998 and had worked in London at Deloittes and Credit Suisse before moving to the charity sector in 2009.

In 2019 her application to adopt a baby girl was approved and in January 2020 she informed Mrs Murray of her intention to take 52 weeks of adoption leave.

The tribunal heard: ‘Mrs Murray did not react well, arguing that she did not believe that [Miss Parker] could ‘go on leave with no notice,’ as she described it, and expressed dissatisfaction that [she] would ‘do that to her’,

‘She asked why the child could not be placed into separate foster care before it was placed with [Miss Parker] so that [she] could conduct a handover.

‘Additionally, Mrs Murray asked [her] whether it was really necessary for her to take her full entitlement of 52 weeks of adoption leave.’

Miss Parker began her leave in September 2020. The tribunal heard that during her absence, her replacement flagged potential financial irregularities in the accounts she had been responsible for.

In July 2021 Miss Parker had a conversation with Mrs Murray about reducing hours and working from home as she was struggling to find childcare for her daughter.

However, her request was refused and the following month, the diocese launched disciplinary proceedings against her and put her on suspension.

Miss Parker responded by issuing a grievance against Mrs Murray.

‘This behaviour is not in accordance with the professed beliefs of the Catholic Church,’ she said.

‘I know that the Catholic Church does not have a blemish-free history when it comes to adopted children or children in care, but I hoped that this kind of prejudice had been eradicated long ago. Maybe I am wrong.’

The Clifton Diocese – which covers the West of England and has assets exceeding £200 million

During the investigation into her, senior church executive Carole Lawrence mocked Miss Parker – who suffers from anxiety and depression – saying she was glad she had not had a panic attack before a disciplinary hearing, the tribunal was told.

The hearing was told the ICAEW was asked to investigate the allegations against her and eventually found there was insufficient evidence to support the complaints.

However, at the conclusion of its investigation the diocese decided to dismiss her for gross misconduct.

The tribunal heard this led to Miss Parker sending an email to Mrs Murray saying: ‘There is one thing I always wanted to say to you. Now I can. F*** OFF YOU B****.’ and ‘Your god might forgive you but I never will. B****.’

She then put out Facebook posts saying: ‘You asked for it and I’m coming for you,’ and ‘Nolite te bastardes carborundorum, b****s,’ – meaning ‘don’t let the b******* grind you down, b*****s’ in Latin.

Employment Judge Adam Midgley said that the way the diocese had handled the disciplinary process meant Miss Parker – as a non Catholic – had been religiously discriminated against.

‘[She] has argued that from the moment she challenged the [diocese], particularly from the point at which she referenced the Catholic Church’s treatment of vulnerable children, her card was marked, and [it] closed ranks to protect itself and dismiss her.’

He described the investigation that led to her dismissal as appearing like ‘witch hunt’ and said it was ‘derisory in its depth, unbalanced and focused on establishing fault’.

Miss Parker has yet to receive compensation following the judgement as the diocese is understood to have launched an appeal.

The ICAEW issued her with a caution over the abusive messages and social media posts. 

In response, Miss Parker said: ‘I wasn’t happy with ICAEW outcome but I suppose it was the best outcome given the situation.

‘I don’t think what I did was wrong and I think I just did what probably millions of people around the country want to do when they leave their jobs.

‘I have been through four years of hell with this and my parents, daughter and siblings have suffered too. ‘I’ve gone self-employed as I don’t think I could ever trust an employer again.

‘I can honestly say I hate the Catholic Church and think they cannot be trusted.’

Clifton Diocese today declined to comment on Miss Parker’s tribunal