Calling A Man ‘Bald’ Is Now Considered Sexual Harassment, High Court Rules
11 Oct 2024
Calling a man ‘bald’ is now considered sexual harassment, the High Court has ruled.
In a recently released full judgement, a judge said that using the word about a man could breach equality laws because it is ‘inherently related to sex’.
The verdict follows legal case brought by electrician Tony Finn who claimed he had been sexually harassed by his boss during a heated row in 2019.
Mr Finn, 64, made the claim against the British Bung Company, where he worked as an electrician for 24 years before he was fired in 2021.
He said he was a victim of sexual harassment after comments were made about his baldness, including being called a “stupid bald c***” by his supervisor during an argument.
His supervisor, Jamie King, also threatened to “deck” him, Mr Finn recalled, saying the encounter left him “fearful for my personal safety”.
The landmark employment tribunal ruling was made by a panel of three bald men, according to The Telegraph.
The three-person panel said the remark “crossed a line” and dismissed an argument that the comment was not sexist because women can be bald too.