After being allegedly harassed over cross necklace for years, a Christian nurse has won a lawsuit filed in the Employment Tribunal in the United Kingdom last week.
The nurse, Mary Onuoha, says she was forced to resign in June 2020 from her job at a London hospital.
Onuoha took legal action against Croydon Health Services NHS Trust after resignation.
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She claims that she was targetted for wearing a small cross necklace for years by being told that it posed “a health and safety risk.”
After immigrating to the UK in 1988, Onuoha, who grew up in Nigeria, worked for Croydon University Hospital for around 20 years.
In a statement, Onuoha claimed that the controversy over necklace “has always been an attack on my faith.”
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According to Onuoha, NHS management first told her to stop wearing necklace, but when she refused, it gave her an offer of compromise and said she could wear it on a longer chain and ensure the cross stays out of sight. She refused to comply again.
In last Wednesday’s ruling, the tribunal dismissed the claim of hospital over the health risk and mentioned other employees are allowed to wear jewellery and hijabs too.
At a later hearing, financial compensation for Onuoha will be decided.
(With inputs from agencies)
