Sacked female umpire to take AFL to Fair Work over abuse claims

Former AFL umpire Libby Toovey will meet her old employer in a Fair Work trial after her contract was terminated just five weeks into a new role.

Toovey claims she was let go after uncovering abuse of fellow female umpires, but the AFL have a different version of events.

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Earlier this year, Toovey took a job as a female umpire talent scout with the AFL, and has since claimed that multiple stories of abuse were brought to her attention.

Toovey alleges she was let go after she raised the cases with upper management.

It is being reported that at least three cases of abuse towards female umpires are being investigated by the AFL’s integrity unit.

In a statement, the AFL confirmed it “ended the employment of a junior staffer… due to serious concerns regarding her conduct.”

“While the employee had only been with the AFL for a number of weeks, the seriousness of the breaches were of a nature that it was not possible for the employee to continue to work within the organisation,” the statement continued.

“To assert this staff member was terminated for raising concerns is absolutely incorrect.

“Libby departed the AFL after it was found she engaged in conduct constituting multiple breaches of AFL policy during her short period of time with the organisation.

“(She) had on numerous occasions misrepresented her role responsibilities and authority to both internal and external stakeholders.

“The AFL takes very seriously its responsibility to provide a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all staff members, but it also takes seriously each employee’s right to privacy and right to their personal information not being shared without their permission.”

Toovey has spoken to multiple publications and taken to social media to tell her side of the story.

“I feel so humbled and grateful to be able to share what the AFL has done to me. I just don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” she wrote on Twitter.

“Just a reminder that eight days ago the CEO-elect of the AFL, Andrew Dillon literally said he puts “safety first” for all those involved in footy. Mate, I told my bosses that people are unsafe and are being abused and I got fired all talk no action!” she wrote on Instagram.

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“For the last three months I have been telling a lot of people what the AFL did to me,” another Instagram post says.

“I was fired for telling them of the systematic abuse that female umpires have suffered and continue to suffer. This includes sexual assault, verbal harassment, grooming and physical assault.

“What did they do when I told them? They blind sighted me and fired me a week later. The people who have abused women are all still out there in the footy community. I told them 3 months ago and the perpetrators are still there.

“I’m not, I got fired and they get to keep their jobs. I wanted to help change the culture from within AFL House but was forced out. Now I guess I’ll have to change it from the outside but I can’t do it alone anymore.”

Toovey is due to have her case heard by Fair Work Australia during a mediation with the AFL on Wednesday.

“I think its time that the AFL apologise and admit that they have been causing trauma and harm to a lot of people for a very long time, I don’t think its too much to ask,” she told The Age.

“I’m going in there to say I was fired for being a whistleblower.

“My moral obligation to look after female umpires usurps the brand of the AFL. I’ve told them I can’t work for an organisation that puts profit above people.”

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