Stable groom sues trainer over ‘useless’ remark
A LEADING female racehorse trainer is being sued for discrimination by a stable groom who claims she called her “useless” because her morning sickness meant she felt “unsafe” riding horses.
Alex Caulkett told an employment tribunal that when she found out she was expecting, Eve Johnson Houghton’s attitude towards her changed.
Ms Caulkett claims she was then disciplined for an incident in which she was “blameless” and barred from a bungalow she was allowed to live in.
She claimed that she was then forced to sign an agreement in which she would leave the job and bungalow in return for a reference, wages and a letter to the council to help her secure accommodation was declared as “binding” on Oct 15 2021.
As a result, she is suing her employers, Eve Johnson Houghton Racing, claiming pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal. Now, a judge has ruled her bosses acted “in bad faith” and applied “illegitimate pressure” on her to sign the agreement.
A preliminary hearing was told Ms Caulkett, now aged 20, started working at the business, which is home to about 80 race horses, in February 2019.
In early 2021, she started a romantic relationship with the boy she lived with, referred to only as “T”, and became pregnant in June that year. Ms Caulkett claimed that, after this, Ms Johnson Houghton’s attitude to her “changed”.
She told the hearing, held in Watford, that her boss now considered her “useless” as she suffered with morning sickness and felt “unsafe” riding horses.
It was decided that the tribunal had jurisdiction to hear the complaint and a full tribunal will take place.