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2013-Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT-280

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT Held or Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT Pronouncements

Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT considered two appeals by the Secretary-General of judgment Nos. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT/2011/106 and Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT/2011/192. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that it was satisfied that the Complainant did not share the Applicant¡¯s desire to pursue a sexual relationship and that the Applicant¡¯s conduct was unwelcome. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the transmission by the Applicant of a photograph of his genitalia to a female colleague, much less a colleague under his supervision, could at its best, as found by the Joint Disciplinary Committee (JDC), be characterised as outrageous and most probably unwanted. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the Secretary-General had clear and convincing evidence that the Applicant¡¯s conduct was unwelcome to the Complainant. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the Secretary-General had sufficient grounds to conclude, as a matter of high probability, that the Applicant¡¯s conduct rendered the Complainant¡¯s work environment offensive within the meaning of ST/AI/379. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the totality of the circumstances in which the Complainant found herself could reasonably be considered under any standard, unwelcome and offensive, and on occasions intimidating. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT failed manifestly to attach sufficient weight to the unequal nature of the respective positions of the Appellant and the Complaint, to the strength of the Complainant¡¯s rejection of the Applicant¡¯s desire for an intimate sexual relationship with her. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held as manifestly unreasonable Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT¡¯s finding that the Complainant was a consenting partner in an intimate adult relationship where no holds were barred as far as discussion topics were concerned. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the weight attached by Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT to the Complainant¡¯s rejection of the Applicant¡¯s offer to arrange for her to move temporarily to another section was disproportionate. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT accepted the Secretary-General¡¯s submission that it was reasonable for him to evaluate the communications between the Applicant and the Complainant in light of the Complainant¡¯s position of inequality and vulnerability vis-¨¤-vis the Applicant. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the finding of Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT, that the Complainant¡¯s claim that she was afraid to open her emails at work was untrue, was manifestly erroneous. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in law and fact in determining that the Applicant¡¯s conduct vis-¨¤-vis the Complainant did not constitute sexual harassment within the meaning of ST/AI/379. On workplace harassment, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erroneously focused on certain placatory reactions of the Complainant, while ignoring the threat of rejection of the Applicant¡¯s conduct by her. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the email and text messages exchanges to which the Complainant was subjected against the backdrop whereby she had set certain boundaries for their relationship, constituted harassment in connection with work. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in law and fact by failing to find sufficient nexus was established between the complained-of actions and the workplace; Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held this nexus was established by the Applicant¡¯s status as her supervisor. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that any attempted demarcation between the friendship and their working relationship could not be sustained. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in law and fact in concluding that the Applicant did not engage in workplace harassment. On the Applicant¡¯s attempts to engage with the Complainant¡¯s new supervisor post-allegations, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred manifestly in describing the circumstances as normal and the Applicant¡¯s actions as no more than gossip or backstabbing. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT¡¯s conclusion that the Applicant was merely exercising his obligations as a former manager was manifestly unreasonable. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the Secretary-General reasonably concluded that the Applicant¡¯s actions constituted misconduct and that, by ruling otherwise, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in law and fact. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that, where the Applicant himself acknowledged that his supervisor had also verbally advised him to refrain from contacting the Complainant, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in its conclusion that former Staff Rule 101. 2(b) was not violated. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT concurred with the finding of the JDC that the Applicant should have received a copy of the complaint during the investigation; however, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that his due process rights were not substantively breached since the Applicant had the opportunity in the course of the investigation to respond to allegations. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT¡¯s conclusion that the Applicant¡¯s due process rights were breached was erroneous. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that in deciding on the sanction, the Secretary-General was entitled to take into consideration that the Applicant was the Complainant¡¯s supervisor; the Applicant¡¯s egregious conduct following the complaint in approaching the new supervisor and the retaliatory motivation, therefore; and the Applicant¡¯s failure to follow instructions. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the Secretary-General reasonably concluded that the misconduct was incompatible with the standards of conduct expected of an international civil servant. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT held that the sanction of summary dismissal was not disproportionate and that Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT erred in law in concluding that the Applicant was improperly dismissed. Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT allowed both appeals and reversed the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT judgments.

Decision Contested or Judgment/Order Appealed

The Applicant contested his summary dismissal for sexual and workplace harassment, abuse of authority and failure to follow instructions given by his supervisors. In Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT/2011/106, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT found that the actions of the Applicant did not amount to serious misconduct and the imposition of summary dismissal was ¡°wrongful¡± and deserving of a reprimand ¡°at the very worst but certainly not summary dismissal¡±. In Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT/2011/192, Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT ordered rescission of the summary dismissal, reinstatement or compensation in lieu thereof, compensation for due process violations, an award of moral damages, payment of a repatriation grant and placement on a roster for P-5 positions.

Legal Principle(s)

When reviewing disciplinary cases, the three factors to be examined are: whether the facts on which the disciplinary measure was based have been established; whether the established facts legal amount to misconduct; and whether the disciplinary measure applied is proportionate to the offence.

Outcome

Appeal granted

OAJ prepared this case law summary for informational purposes only. It is no official record and should not be relied upon as an authoritative interpretation of the Tribunals' rulings. For the authoritative texts, please refer to the judgment or order rendered by the respective Tribunal. The Tribunals are the only bodies competent to interpret their respective judgments, as provided under Article 12(3) of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµDT Statute and Article 11(3) of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓÆµAT Statute. Any inaccuracies in the publication are the sole responsibility of OAJ, which should be contacted directly for any correction requests. To provide comments, don't hesitate to get in touch with OAJ at oaj@un.org.

The judgment summaries were generally prepared in English. They were translated into French and are being reviewed for accuracy of the translation.