ADVERTISEMENT

Billionaire Philip Green Fails to Get Sex-Discrimination Claim Thrown Out

Billionaire Philip Green Fails to Get Sex-Discrimination Claim Thrown Out

(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Philip Green’s attempt to be removed from a lawsuit accusing him of sex discrimination has been refused by a London tribunal.

The claim is part of a constructive-dismissal case brought against the retail tycoon and his companies, Arcadia Group Ltd. and Top Shop/Top Man Ltd. It’s being brought by Topshop’s former head of design, Mo Riach, who had also held senior design roles at Miss Selfridge, another of Green’s fashion labels.

An employment judge refused Green’s application for him to be removed from the proceedings in a preliminary hearing earlier this month. Green also failed to get the sex discrimination claim dismissed in a ruling published Thursday.

Billionaire Philip Green Fails to Get Sex-Discrimination Claim Thrown Out

Green became Britain’s most high-profile figure caught in the #MeToo scandal when the Daily Telegraph reported in 2018 that five former employees had accused him of sexual harassment and racist abuse, which he’d covered up with high-priced nondisclosure agreements. Green denied the allegations.

His lawyer, Sean Jones, argued Riach’s sex-discrimination claim against Green was “untenable in principle” but the judge wasn’t persuaded.

“An arguable claim was shown,” Judge Anthony Snelson said in his ruling.

A lawyer for Riach and a spokesman for Green, Topshop and Arcadia declined to comment.

The ruling comes at a turbulent time for Green and his company after the U.K. ordered nearly all shops to shut during its coronavirus lock-down. Many retailers are asking for rent relief to help them cope with the loss in revenue, with Green reportedly asking for a reduction of at least 50%.

Arcadia said staff at its stores will continue to be employed and be paid their normal pay for March, after which the company will review the situation.

Green did succeed in getting the dismissal of a claim related from early 2018, which the judge ruled was too old.

The suit was due to proceed to a full hearing next month, but has since been canceled because of the virus, which is halting court cases across Europe.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.