More dirty laundry Down Under
The Australian Rugby Union and former employee Di Patston looks set for another round of 'airing dirty laundry in public'.
Media reports in Australia revealed the highly-publicised Kurtley Beale sage – which resulted in an emotional Patston returning home prematurely from the Wallaby tour of Argentina and later resigning her position – could result in a protracted legal battle.
The ARU are expected to fight a discrimination claim brought by the former Wallaby business manager, Patston, but – according to the reports – it will result in a protracted and potentially embarrassing pubic hearing for the ARU.
Patston has engaged a well-known personal injury law firm on the New South Wales north coast to act on her behalf in a claim of 'adverse action' under the Fair Work Act over her employment and subsequent resignation from the ARU last October.
It is understood the ARU and Patston reached a sizeable financial settlement when they parted ways in a storm of controversy surrounding Patston's interactions with Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale.
Beale was fined AU$45,000, following a code of conduct hearing, for sending crude images to teammates and Patston in June last year.
Patston was then involved in further disputes with the Test No.10 and resigned, citing stress after the pair argued during a flight to Argentina four months later.
But the saga appears set for another public airing after the ARU's application to have the claim permanently stayed was rejected by judge Angelo Vasta in the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane on Monday this week.
If the parties cannot settle out of court, Patston and the ARU could face renewed and potentially damaging exposure when the matter is heard on June 2.
It is believed the ARU will be subpoenaed to hand over emails and text messages central to the saga. Missing phones and confusion about a second questionable text message clouded internal investigations, but those details may be revealed under fresh examination if the ARU was compelled by law to hand over further information.
The case against the ARU already contains detailed email exchanges, as well as text messages and various witness statements.
Patston's legal team is also likely to argue that the prolonged and public fallout took a toll on her mental health and damaged her future career prospects.
The ARU is likely to point to the payout Patston received, which is understood to have covered the remainder of her contract and included an amount in recognition of hardship.
Beale escaped further punishment last year when it was discovered that a second, more offensive message that was circulated did not originate from him.
Sources: Sydney Morning Herald & AAP
