A man removed from his post as Tayside’s period dignity officer has appeared at a tribunal hearing after accusing his employers of sex discrimination.
Jason Grant’s appointment last year sparked outrage with critics adamant the job — designed to promote period dignity — should have been given to a woman.
The former personal trainer has sued the organisations that hired him for the £33,000 a year job after they axed the role under huge public pressure.
Mr Grant attended an employment tribunal hearing on Friday alongside his legal team from Dundee-based MML.
It’s the first time he has been pictured publicly since the backlash over his appointment.
Preliminary hearing in Jason Grant case
The preliminary hearing only dealt with procedural aspects of the case with dates for the full hearing still to be confirmed.
But it’s understood there is a dispute over whether all those involved in creating the role should respond in the case.
He was hired on a fixed-term two-year contract by a working group comprising of Dundee & Angus College as the “host employer”, councils in Dundee and Angus, and Perth College.
Each of the organisations were represented individually in the hearing by lawyers.
It’s understood Dundee City Council, Angus Council, and Perth College are arguing the sole respondent should be Dundee & Angus College.
The working group and MML declined to comment when approached by The Courier.
Axed period dignity officer Jason Grant has arrived at Dundee's employment tribunal offices in the case's first hearing. More to follow in @thecourieruk pic.twitter.com/Yhs0TBDdkn
— Jake Keith (@JakeKeith_) February 10, 2023
The case will only progress once the issue has been resolved.
The hearing, which was closed to the media and the public, was held in the Greenmarket’s Endeavour House.
The organisation recently moved to the upgraded building from Compass House next door.
How did the case end up at a tribunal?
The role was created after the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act 2021 was introduced.
It meant Scotland was the first country in the world where public institutions are legally enforced to provide free period products.
Mr Grant was to act as the lead figure in spreading the word on access to products for women and girls.
One of his key roles was to reduce the stigma around menstruation and period products.
But the PR announcement in August, which heralded the creation of the role as “pioneering”, was criticised by many including Tennis legend Martina Navratilova and women’s charities.
The Czech sports star took to Twitter to blast the decision to appoint a man as “f******g ridiculous”.
The working group then axed the role days later and has stood by the decision, blaming “threats and abuse of individuals”.
Mr Grant however feels the move was based solely on his gender, which would be an act of discrimination under the Equality Act.
If the case does not settle, it would result in a full hearing putting the whole saga under the microscope, likely taking place over two weeks.
Mr Grant would speak as a witness as would members of the working group and whoever else is considered important to the decision making process.
Conversation