Claimant v St Catherine's Catholic School

Outcome

Facts

The claimant brought disability discrimination claims against her employer, a Catholic school, and three individual respondents. Following a full merits hearing on 23 July 2025, the tribunal determined that the claimant's disability (stress, anxiety, depression, unstable angina, high blood pressure) began on 1 November 2023. The claimant applied for reconsideration, arguing her disability status began earlier (potentially December 2021) and providing additional evidence including fitness to work notes from December 2021 and March 2022 showing stress-related absences.

Decision

The tribunal refused the reconsideration application. Employment Judge Lumby found that the additional evidence (fitness to work notes showing intermittent stress-related absences in late 2021 and early 2022) would not have changed the original decision that disability status began on 1 November 2023. The judge concluded intermittent absences due to stress did not demonstrate the section 6 Equality Act threshold was crossed earlier. The application was also considered an attempt to relitigate the original decision with evidence that was available before the hearing.

Practical note

Legal authorities cited