Declaring yourself a 'non feminist' is an act of discrimination, a tribunal has ruled in a judgement against an Environment Agency manager.
The hearing accepted that the worker 'genuinely' believed in 'non feminism' but the tribunal was 'slightly perplexed' by the concept.
Kevin Legge, an experienced manager in his early 50s who was based in Peterborough, claimed he was resisting his female boss's agenda to promote women over men.
As a result, he was discriminated against because feminism is a belief system he doesn't follow, he argued.
Dismissing his claims, the judge ruled that not agreeing with equality and diversity in the workplace is a 'questionable' belief, 'not worthy of respect', 'compatible with human dignity' and that conflicts with the rights of colleagues.
Holding such views could be in breach of equality laws, the tribunal suggested, as it dismissed Mr Legge's claims of a 'conspiracy' to 'remove males from management positions'.
Kevin Legge - who was based in Peterborough, Cambs, claimed he refused 'to do [their] bidding by favouring women over men in recruitment or promotion'. Stock image
The Environment Agency denied his claims and told the tribunal he had been sacked after he committed fraud by claiming a full-time salary while taking time off during the working day to provide counselling sessions.
The employment tribunal - chaired by Employment Judge Robin Postle - found the father-of-one had behaved 'unreasonably' and ordered him to pay £20,000 of the agency's £106,000 legal costs.
READ MORE -Former civil servant launches legal case claiming he was sacked for not being a feminist
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'The Tribunal were slightly perplexed by [Mr Legge's] philosophical belief being a non-feminist,' he said. 'It would appear to the Tribunal a feminist is simply about all genders having equal rights and opportunities as men.
'Something the Environmental Agency strived to achieve is an inclusive workforce and still maintaining the best candidate for the roles. It is an aspiration that the workforce fully reflects the diversity of the society it seeks to serve.'
EJ Postle said the tribunal accepted that Mr Legge 'genuinely' believed in 'non feminism'. However, he cast doubt on its validity saying it 'just about' qualifies as a belief rather that an opinion or viewpoint, 'although even that is questionable'.
'Whether his belief is weighty and can be described as a substantial aspect of human life is again questionable,' the judge said. 'Likewise, on the question of attaining a certain level of cogency, seriousness, cohesion and importance.
The Environment Agency's role is to investigate and punish water companies found to have illegally polluted waterways. Stock image
'It is certainly not worthy of respect, or compatible with human dignity and does conflict with the rights of others.
'In fact the Tribunal felt that his maintaining his non-feminist view was in fact discriminatory in itself.'
Mr Legge, who had worked at the agency for 16 years, had taken the Environment Agency to an employment tribunal in 2022 claiming discrimination based on a philosophical belief, sex discrimination, victimisation and unfair dismissal.
His former employers argued he had been sacked for moonlighting as a counsellor when he was supposed to be working full time for them.
The tribunal in Norwich was told Mr Legge joined the agency as a technical manager in 2005. However, in 2019 he clashed with his boss Joanna Larmour, now the head of the EA's National Enforcement Service.
READ MORE -Former civil servant who claimed he was sacked from the Environment Agency for not being a feminist is ordered to pay £20,000 for 'vexatious' and 'unreasonable' case
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Mr Legge claimed he refused 'to do [their] bidding by favouring women over men in recruitment or promotion'.
'[He] was not happy with the Department seeking to achieve more diversity and inclusivity within that Department, reflecting society and the people the Employment Agency represented,' the tribunal heard. 'This was at odds with his non-feminist views.'
The tribunal was told that Mr Legge raised a grievance against his employers about his treatment in May 2020.
However, the Environment Agency later launched disciplinary proceedings against him and he was dismissed for dishonesty in April 2021.
The hearing was told that among other alleged misconduct an investigation found he had been working as a counsellor during working hours, which was having an 'adverse effect on his duties'.
Following his dismissal, Mr Legge launched legal action at the tribunal, representing himself during proceedings.
However, his claims were dismissed as the tribunal found his treatment had nothing to do with his non feminist beliefs and said he had been the 'author of his own downfall'.
'All the [Environment Agency's] witnesses gave clear and cogent evidence that whilst they supported equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, they do not accept feminism in the way the [Mr Legge] describes that, or that there is some agenda or conspiracy from higher management to remove males from management positions, or have in some way been looking to appoint females at every opportunity,' it said.
'There has been a clear absence throughout the allegations of any real substantial evidential basis which links [Mr Legge's] treatment to his sex or non-belief.'
