Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion expert Alison McDermott has been ordered to pay £5,000 following a whistleblowing claim she brought against Sellafield, a former HR director at the Cumbrian nuclear complex, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The tribunal found that McDermott had acted unreasonably in how she conducted the proceedings, particularly in her allegations that documents had been fabricated or tampered with.
McDermott had contested a costs order to pay the opposing parties £40,000 after losing her initial case in 2021. The costs have now been reduced to £5,000, with two separate costs order applications dismissed. McDermott expressed outrage at the decision, citing an Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ruling that found Sellafield had breached data laws in creating the letters in question.
Despite the ICO ruling, which did not find evidence of tampering, Sellafield has pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to cyber security failings. The dispute between McDermott, Sellafield, and the NDA centered around letters critical of McDermott’s performance, which she alleges were fabricated and tampered with by the HR team.
The tribunal found that McDermott’s tampering allegations were unfounded and lacked evidence. Sellafield and the NDA incurred nearly a million pounds in legal fees defending against McDermott’s claims, prompting criticism from McDermott about their pursuit of costs.
McDermott has described Sellafield’s pursuit of the costs as relentless and believes it reflects a toxic culture at the facility. Despite the legal battles, the courts have maintained that the claims against Sellafield were without substance and that McDermott was not accorded whistleblower status.