Education chief quits after posh dinner is hit by sex pest claims
The Dorchester, where dinner was attended by 360 business and professional men A MILLIONAIRE businessman was forced to quit a senior government role yesterday after organising a fundraising dinner where it was claimed hostesses were sexually harassed.
David Meller, 58, was asked to leave his post as a Department for Education director amid a growing furore over the Presidents Club event at the Dorchester Hotel.
His departure came as police were urged to investigate complaints which included claims one of the all male guests exposed himself.
Charities including Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London handed back thousands of pounds raised by the black-tie evening after the scandal emerged.
The Presidents Club, a charitable trust, said it will not host any further fundraising events.
It added: “Remaining funds will be distributed in an efficient manner to children’s charities and it will then be closed.”
There is no suggestion that fatherof-three Mr Meller, who also quit a position at the Mayor’s Fund for London, was involved in, or aware of, any inappropriate behaviour.
The dinner was on Thursday night and attended by Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi.
Stratford-on-Avon MP Mr Zahawi said he had left early feeling “uncomfortable”.
Comedian David Walliams, who hosted the event attended by 360 businessmen and professionals, said he was “absolutely appalled”.
The evening was kicked off at 10pm by TV sports presenter Jonny Gould with the words: “Welcome to the most un-PC event of the year.”
The incidents were revealed by two Financial Times journalists working undercover as hostesses. Reporter Madison Marriage said: “I was groped several times and I know that there are numerous other hostesses who said the same thing had happened to them.
“It’s hands up skirts, hands on bums but also hands on hips, hands on stomachs, arms going round your waist unexpectedly.”
She said the worst allegations were of a man exposing himself and of “another man telling a hostess to down her glass of champagne, rip off her knickers and dance on the table”.
Around 130 young women hired as hostesses were allegedly told to wear black dresses, matching black underwear and “sexy” high-heeled shoes.
Mr Meller’s boss, Education Minister Anne Milton, said: “Allegations of this kind of behaviour are completely unacceptable.”
Downing Street said: “The Prime Minister was uncomfortable at the reports that she read this morning.”