An Aberdeen children’s charity is being taken to an employment tribunal amid claims by a former boss that her dismissal was “substantively and procedurally unfair”.
Karen Farquhar-Marr, who was chief executive of Befriend a Child until February, has revealed she is taking legal action against her former employers, accusing them of taking the decision to terminate her employment “at any cost”.
The children’s charity, based on Bon Accord Square, has already tried to have the case thrown out but this was rejected by a tribunal judge.
Reginald Christie said the case should continue to a full hearing – where evidence will be heard from both parties.
A date for this has yet to be fixed.
The charity argued that the reasons for dismissal were due to a “breach of trust and confidence” and a “breakdown of the working relationship”.
During a preliminary hearing it also emerged that Ms Farquhar-Marr believed the three trustees had taken the decision to terminate her employment at “any cost”.
Befriend a Child supports disadvantaged children aged four to 16 with adult befrienders who take them on activities they might not otherwise be able to enjoy.
Ms Farquhar-Marr joined the charity in 1996 and went on to be short-listed in the charity champion category of the Scottish Charity Awards 2014.
Speaking after the hearing, Quantum Claims solicitor Frank Lefevre, who is representing Ms Farquhar-Marr, said: “We appeared here in opposition to the attempt by the respondent to have the case struck out without any evidential hearing taking place.
“I was required to say little in response to the submission by the lawyer for the respondent, since the judge clearly shared our view that the application could not succeed.”
The charity could not be contacted for comment last night.