In the case of Master v Springfields Fuels Mo Master was falsely accused by his colleagues of having extremist Islamic views. Mr Master had been employed in the workshop of Springfield Fuels in Preston, Lancashire, which produces fuel for nuclear power plants.
His manager, Tim Berry, alerted the police that Master might be a security risk after staff reported that he had become a lot more outspoken and that he would say British troops in the Middle East deserved to die. They also expressed concern that he could have access to material that could be used to make a “dirty bomb”.
Simon Johnson, head of security, filed a report about Mr Master to the Office for Nuclear Regulation in January 2018 which in turn contacted Prevent, the anti-terrorism Government agency. Mr Master, who was not told about the report, took voluntary redundancy in February 2018, taking a payment of £70,000. He was visited by police at his home around three months later. No action was ever taken against him by police.
At this point he decided to bring a claim for religious discrimination. Employment Judge Mark Leach said if Mr Master was not Muslim the rumour would not have been reported. Judge Leach said reporting Mr Master was ‘little more than a kneejerk reaction to being presented with unsubstantiated allegation about an employee making an extremist comment and displaying behaviour of greater religious observance’.
Springfield Fuels was ordered to pay Mr Master £3,500 compensation for religious discrimination.
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