Air stewardess sexually harassed by pilot, tribunal told

Jan 8 2009 The Journal

AN air stewardess working on luxury executive jets was sexually harassed by a pilot who sent her an explicit text message and said he liked her "sexy, kinky boots", an employment tribunal heard yesterday.

Rachel Quinn, 29, alleged she was subjected to a series of incidents at the hands of captain Ed Murray when working for Gama Aviation based in Farnborough, Hampshire, in late 2007 and early 2008.

Miss Quinn, from Killingworth, North Tyneside, was a flight attendant looking after rich clients on business jets as they travelled around the world. Gama was used by the owners to look after the aircraft.

The hearing in Southampton was told by Miss Quinn that Mr Murray had sent a text message saying he wanted her to commit a sex act on him.

At first she believed it had been meant for his wife Suzie, even though she had been upset by it.

But later, after a series of other incidents, she came to believe it had been sexual harassment.

Telling the court of these, Miss Quinn claimed Mr Murray had come to her hotel room while in Ankara and commented on her "sexy, kinky boots" even though she said she was wearing plain, flat black boots at the time.

On another occasion Mr Murray came to a swimming pool at a hotel in Dubai to have a swim when Miss Quinn was reading and listening to music.

She said that Mr Murray had said, ‘Let’s get wet together’. Miss Quinn said she declined.

"I felt uncomfortable. I felt what he said was inappropriate," she explained.

Miss Quinn said she complained to her line manager Alexandria Proud about the text message. Miss Proud contacted her bosses, but nothing was done.

Miss Proud told the hearing that she was told someone would speak to Mr Murray, who was described as "old school" by colleagues, about his attitude to Miss Quinn.

Miss Proud said she had flown with Mr Murray and said she had felt uncomfortable and accused him of looking at her breasts all the time and being racist.

She said she had been told in April 2008 to sack Miss Quinn by one of the owners of Gama.

Miss Quinn, a former British Airways stewardess, said that Mr Murray had also said he could not understand her accent and that she was "nothing" to the aircraft.

She is claiming sexual harassment and victimisation against the company which denies the allegations.

Giving evidence, Mr Murray said he had worked for Gama for 25 years and said allegations by Miss Quinn had defamed him and blackened his character.

He said that he had sent an explicit text message to Miss Quinn in error when he had received a message asking if he was coming to the pool.

He said he had never asked Miss Quinn to enter the swimming pool and "get wet together" and that if he was at the pool he would have avoided her.

He said he had once gone to Miss Quinn’s hotel room to drop off some papers but he denied he had ever mentioned anything about her boots.

He also denied he was racist.

Miss Quinn is claiming £10,000 for injured feeling and around £30,000 in loss of earnings, benefits and pension.

The case was adjourned until next month when judgment will be given.