Mr M Butterick v The University of Leeds — 2023

The Tribunal dismissed the claims of indirect race and age discrimination. It found no evidence that someone of the claimant's age and race was less likely to have a PhD, no evidence that recruitment was targeted primarily at non-UK institutions, and no evidence of an operating culture designed to prevent older white UK employees from applying. It also found the claimant was encouraged to apply for the teaching and research posts and was told the PhD requirement would not be applied to him.

The Tribunal dismissed the protected disclosure detriment and victimisation claims. It accepted that the claimant's emails of 29 June 2021 and 11 August 2021 were protected disclosures, but found no credible evidence that the alleged treatment was because of protected disclosures or protected acts. It found the respondent followed an agreed process for fixed term contracts and redeployment, and that the claimant accepted a new role before the expiry of notice.

The Tribunal also dismissed the fixed term employee claim. It was not satisfied that less favourable treatment on the ground of fixed term employee status had been shown, and stated that any such treatment would in any event have been objectively justified by the respondent's aim of increasing research capacity through permanent teaching and research posts.