Dr. Plaut, who joined the university in 1990 as the first female academic in the physics department was unfairly dismissed from her job after she was informed by the HR department and some senior staff that her unbearingly loud voice is a disturbance and a nuance for the educational institution. The employment tribunal, however, ruled in favor of the lecturer and announced compensation worth $135k for her.
Lecturer Wins $135k In Compensation After Being Fired For Her Loud Voice
By
Samantha in
Social Issues
On 22nd January 2022
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Dr. Annette Plaut was a member of the University of Exeter’s physics department for 29 years before she was unfairly and rudely dismissed for her ‘overbearing’ voice. Now the lecturer has managed to win some $135k in compensation for her loud voice and we couldn't be anymore happier.
Dr. Plaut shared that her 'naturally loud voice' is due to her middle-European Jewish background, alleging that it was the combination of her being ‘female and loud’ that led to her being fired from the job.
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On the other hand, the university insists that the lecturer was fired over her inappropriate dealings with two PhD students, which had nothing to do with her background or her sex.
Despite the university's claims, the employment tribunal ruled it out and claimed that Dr. Plaut was unfairly terminated from her job and therefore she deserves a large amount in damages.
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Dr. Plaut allegedly accused the educational institute of being ‘institutionally unconsciously biased’, and said she now takes medication due to the stress brought on by their unfair treatment.
After the win, Dr. Plaut said: “I have a naturally loud voice. As such I have no ability to sense when I am speaking loudly.
“The loud voice comes from my family background and is a perfectly normal and acceptable way to speak amongst people of middle and eastern European Jewish background.
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“In New York or Germany where I have lived and worked for years at a time, the loudness of my voice was never mentioned.
“Only in Exeter have I been put under pressure to change this inherent characteristic that is fundamentally integral to me and who I am.
“I believe that it is the combination of being female and loud that some senior members of the university and HR [human resources] persist in condemning, as this contradicts their stereotypical assumptions of how a woman should behave.”
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It is to note here that Dr. Plaut joined the university in 1990 as the first female academic in the physics department.
The lecturer was twice suspended before being completely dismissed and was told she could not speak to colleagues or students during the ongoing investigation, which reportedly left her feeling humiliated and isolated.
However, during a tribunal last year, the physicist was described as a ‘Marmite’ character – liked by many but considered ‘overbearing’ by others who disliked her style of teaching.
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Dr. Plaut told the tribunal that she would very much like her teaching job back. has stated that she would have liked her job back. But the tribunal told the lecturer that given the 'deep biases against her in the HR department and the senior staff of the university' it won't be practical for her to rejoin.
Despite this, a University of Exeter spokesperson said: “We continue to believe there are serious inaccuracies in these judgements and we are appealing.”
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