Cleaner wins £13,000 payout after suing her boss for sexual harassment when he told her it was ‘hard to stay professional because of her booty’
- Lauren Shennan was left ‘terrified’ by Keen to Kleen owner Liam Meighan
- He tried to kiss her and touch her unnecessarily, an employment tribunal heard
- He sent ‘insulting and abusive messages’ and said her ‘booty’ would ‘corrupt him’
- The situation was so bad that Miss Shennan quit her job within days of starting
- She later sued Meighan for sexual harassment and won £13,196 in compensation
A cleaner won more than £13,000 after suing her boss for sexual harassment when he told her it was hard to maintain a professional relationship because of her ‘booty.’
Liam Meighan ‘terrified’ Lauren Shennan by trying to kiss her and press himself against her unnecessarily, an employment tribunal heard.
He repeatedly sent her ‘insulting and abusive messages’ and once told her that her ‘booty’ would ‘corrupt’ him. He also shouted at her in front of a customer, making her go home ‘in tears’.
The situation at Keen to Kleen became so bad that Miss Shennan quit her job and started her own business. She later sued Meighan for sexual harassment and won £13,196 in compensation.
Liam Meighan (pictured) ‘terrified’ Lauren Shennan by trying to kiss her and press himself against her unnecessarily, an employment tribunal heard
Miss Shennan began working for Keen to Kleen – based in Kilwinning, Scotland – in October 2019 but left after only two months after being driven out by Meighan’s unwanted advances.
The Glasgow tribunal heard that mere days after she began working for him, Meighan told Miss Shennan her ‘booty could corrupt’ him.
On November 15, while helping Miss Shennan fix a mirror, he pressed himself against her when there was ‘no need to do so’.
The hearing was told he tried to kiss her while claiming he was only ‘pretending’, but later that day lost his temper and ‘shouted’ at her in front of a customer.
She was so ‘terrified’ she left in tears and quit the job that night, confronting him about his ‘sexual harassment, mood swings and drug use’.
Miss Shennan told the tribunal she couldn’t work for anyone ‘ever again’ and started her own business six weeks later.
But on Christmas Day, Meighan and his sister left fake reviews on her business Facebook page, which she said ‘ruined’ her holiday dinner.
She told the tribunal: ‘It made me feel horrendous, on edge all the time’ and said she now feels ‘wary of men in general’.
Miss Shennan said she avoids taking on clients in towns or villages where Meighan lives, has lived or has worked because she is worried about bumping into him.
The Glasgow tribunal heard that mere days after she began working for him, Meighan told Miss Shennan her ‘booty could corrupt’ him
Employment Judge Mark Whitcombe ruled in favour of her claim of sexual harassment and awarded her compensation.
When asked to attend the tribunal hearing, Meighan said: ‘I do not want to see Miss Shennan. She ruined my life and continues to do so. I can’t be anywhere near her.’
Judge Whitcombe said: ‘I accept that the harassment had a significant effect on [her] feelings. It made her conclude that she did not wish to work for anyone else ever again.
‘[His] actions amounted to distressing and unsettling sexual harassment even though the employment relationship lasted a short period. There were suggestive sexualised remarks and an invasion of personal space.’