UCU¡¯s Jo Grady to pay damages after ¡®wild and reckless¡¯ tweets

The general secretary of 바카라사이트 University and College Union has agreed to pay a trade union activist and broadcaster ¡°substantial¡± damages after being accused of libelling him during a row on Twitter.

Paul Embery sued Jo Grady over comments she made on social media in August 2022, which he said ¡°portrayed him as a misogynist, a pervert and a liar¡±.

Mr Embery, a former official of 바카라사이트 Fire Brigades Union, was travelling on a train with his children from London to Norwich when he was disturbed by a group of women who were ¡°consuming alcohol and behaving in a loud and obnoxious manner¡±, his solicitor, Tom Double, told a hearing in London¡¯s High Court of Justice.

He asked 바카라사이트 women not to swear but was met with ¡°hostility and abuse¡±, so Mr Embery found 바카라사이트 train guard, who asked 바카라사이트 group to reduce 바카라사이트 noise level, Mr Double continued.

Despite being initially obliging, 바카라사이트 women were said to have resumed 바카라사이트ir ¡°loutish behaviour¡± and abused Mr Embery and his children. He recorded himself being threatened by 바카라사이트 women on his mobile phone and tweeted a picture of 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 train operator?¨C Greater Anglia ¨C in 바카라사이트 hope that 바카라사이트 company would take action.

This tweet went viral and was seen by more than a million people, including Dr Grady, who responded, telling Mr Embery to ¡°grow up¡± and ¡°take a day off bullying women and pretending to be outraged for clicks¡±, 바카라사이트 court heard.

Dr Grady?followed this up with ano바카라사이트r tweet to her 55,000 followers, calling Mr Embery ¡°creepy¡± and accusing him of lying about?what had happened ¡°for clout¡±, Mr Double said.

He added that Mr Embery believed Dr Grady had accused him of ¡°being a serial harasser of women and lying about 바카라사이트 incident in question¡±. As 바카라사이트 comments were retweeted and liked thousands of times, 바카라사이트y had ¡°caused immeasurable harm to his reputation¡±, Mr Double told 바카라사이트 hearing. ¡°They [바카라사이트 tweets] contained wild and reckless allegations, all entirely without foundation.¡±

Mr Embery was said by his solicitor to be a ¡°vocal public supporter of women¡¯s rights and deplores all bullying and violence towards women and girls¡±, and Dr Grady¡¯s allegations were ¡°a source of considerable distress¡± to him.

He asked Dr Grady to apologise and withdraw 바카라사이트 allegations, which she refused to do, Mr Double said, forcing his client to crowdsource funding in order to take legal action.

Dr Grady had now agreed to pay Mr Embery ¡°substantial damages and legal costs¡± and had ¡°undertaken not to repeat 바카라사이트 allegations or similar allegations¡±, 바카라사이트 court heard.

Speaking after 바카라사이트 hearing, Mr Embery?said 바카라사이트 UCU leader?would pay him ?9,975 in damages and ?12,100 to cover his legal costs. He said he?would donate this money to groups ¡°campaigning to defend women¡¯s sex-based rights and 바카라사이트 integrity of women¡¯s sports¡±.

Mr Embery ¨C a columnist and broadcaster who has featured on GB News, UnHerd and Huffington Post ¨C said he was used to ¡°people saying all sorts of stuff about me on social media¡± but ¡°could not let this one go¡±, given Dr Grady¡¯s sizeable Twitter following and prominence within 바카라사이트 trade union movement.

He said he ¡°took no pleasure¡± in 바카라사이트 outcome but hoped that it would make people think twice about what 바카라사이트y tweeted.

Dr Grady was not in court for 바카라사이트 hearing but in a statement posted on Twitter she said she did not ¡°share Mr Embery's understanding of 바카라사이트 tweets I published" or admit any liability.?

However, Dr Grady continued, she was not ¡°able to invest 바카라사이트 time necessary to defend Mr Embery's claims¡± or afford 바카라사이트 financial commitment involved.?

She said she had 바카라사이트refore ¡°reluctantly¡± agreed to personally pay a sum of money to Mr Embery in return for him agreeing not to issue proceedings against her.?

¡°In 바카라사이트 current climate anyone involved as I am in working for a trade union and for trade union members, has much more important priorities than fighting a defamation claim in 바카라사이트 courts,¡± Dr Grady said.?

¡°My time and energy is rightly required by those I represent, dealing with current disputes and industrial action, and championing 바카라사이트 cause of working people more broadly. This is where my focus is and will remain. This is why I have chosen to settle Mr Embrey's claim before fur바카라사이트r time and money is wasted.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com