Lawsuit by former Equal Opportunities Officer: Date postponed
In the legal dispute over the dismissal of the Erfurt Equal Opportunities Officer, a first hearing at the labor court in Erfurt has been postponed. The conciliation hearing has been postponed to December 12, court spokesman Dirk Oppler told the German Press Agency on Thursday. He cited time overlaps with one of the lawyers as the reason. Originally, it was planned to find out as early as next Tuesday whether an amicable agreement between the parties was possible.
The previous equal opportunities officer, Mary-Ellen Witzmann, was dismissed without notice by the city after she made public allegations of sexual assault and abuse of power at the Erfurt Theater. Witzmann was initially placed on leave at the end of October and then dismissed shortly afterwards because, in the city's view, she acted on her own authority by publishing the allegations in a newspaper. Witzmann's dismissal drew criticism from several city council factions at the top of the city hall, among others.
In the ongoing dispute, Mary-Ellen Witzmann, the former Equal Opportunities Officer, believes justice has not been served in her dismissal from municipal work. Advocating for her rights, she emphasizes the importance of addressing sexual harassment and abuse of power in all workplaces, not just municipalities.
Source: www.dpa.com
