A U.K. employment tribunal has ruled in favor of eight nurses in Darlington who say their employers violated their rights by forcing them to share a female-only changing room with a man who identified as a woman.
The Tribunal ruled that the County Durham and Darlington National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust policy “violated the dignity” of the nurses by creating “a hostile, humiliating and degrading environment.” The landmark judgment, which was handed down January 15, said the NHS’ “Transition in the Workplace” policy unlawfully discriminated against and harassed the female nurses.
The nurses, from Darlington Memorial Hospital—which operates under the control of the NHS—first raised concern with management in July 2023 after a biological male using the name “Rose” showed up in their changing room.
The nurses alleged that “Rose” stared at them while they were undressing, that he lingered in the dressing room for long periods of time, and spoke openly about hoping to get his girlfriend pregnant.
In March, 2024, the nurses sent a letter to the Trust raising cultural sensitivity and abuse concerns. The Trust took no action; instead, human resources representatives told the nurses they should “broaden their mindset,” “get educated” and “compromise.” Further, if women employees had an issue with getting changed in front of a man who identifies as a woman, they should find alternative changing facilities, the Trust said.
Two months later, the nurses filed their case with the Newcastle Employment Tribunal and retained the services of Christian Legal Centre, citing sexual harassment, discrimination and victimization for being forced to share their changing room with a biological male.
The case faced multiple obstacles before finally being heard in October. In Thursday’s judgment, Employment Judge Sweeney and Tribunal members Denise Newey and Malcolm Brain said: “By requiring the Claimants to share a changing room with a biological male trans woman … the Respondent engaged in unwanted conduct related to sex and gender reassignment which had the effect of violating the dignity of the Claimants and creating for the Claimants a hostile, humiliating and degrading environment.
“By not taking seriously and declining to address the Claimants’ concerns of August and September 2023 and of 04 April 2024, regarding that part of the Transition in the Workplace Policy that afforded biological males access to the female changing room, the Respondent engaged in unwanted conduct related to sex and gender reassignment which had the effect of creating for the claimants a hostile and intimidating environment.”
The judgment is being called a major victory for women’s rights and workplace safety.
“This is a victory for common sense and for every woman who simply wants to feel safe at work,” said Darlington nurse Bethany Hutchison, president of the Darlington Nursing Union. “Women deserve access to single-sex spaces without fear of intimidation. Forcing us to undress in front of a man was not only degrading but dangerous. Today’s ruling sends a clear message: the NHS cannot ignore women’s right in the name of ideology.”
Andrea Williams, Chief Executive Executive of the Christian Legal Center, said the judgment exposes the extent to which the NHS hierarchy has been captured by extreme ideology, and its willingness to sacrifice women’s safety and dignity in order to uphold it.
“Allowing a man into a female-only space because he claims to be a woman violates human dignity, common sense, the law of the land and biblical truth,” Williams said in a press release.
