Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – She was fired after an episode of flatulence, but she refused to accept the decision and took the company she worked for to court, accusing it of disability discrimination and harassment. This is the unusual story involving Stephanie Bryan, a bus driver from Bristol, UK, and the electric transport company The Big Lemon.
The case was apparently triggered by the story of a colleague, Samantha Bingham, who had taken over after her.
According to the hearing, Bryan allegedly suffered a particularly severe flatulence episode while on duty. However, the situation didn't end with the end of his shift. When his colleague climbed aboard to take over, she found the cabin filled with such a persistent odor that she suspected the previous driver had soiled herself.
Furthermore, the stench would have lingered on her clothes even after her shift: once she returned home, her partner asked her if she had gotten dirty, and she decided to immediately wash her uniform and take a shower. When Bingham finally confronted her, Bryan responded with a phrase that would become the symbol of the story: "Everyone has to fart."
The case ended up before a labor judge.
Bryan sued the company, claiming she was the victim of disability-related discrimination and harassment. Among the health conditions she cited were depression, borderline personality disorder, and bladder problems.
The judge, however, dismissed the allegations: according to the ruling, the primary reason for the dismissal was not the personal hygiene incident, but the company's concerns about the driver's performance during the probationary period. Furthermore, the court held that company managers had not been informed of Bryan's diagnosis and did not have sufficient evidence to know that his condition could impact the hygiene issues at issue.
When asked about the matter, The Big Lemon preferred not to comment on the specific case, but thanked Bingham for the professionalism shown during the proceedings and Judge Walters for the attention given to a particularly sensitive matter.
international/foreign
webinfo@adnkronos.com (Web Info)