£132,000 payout for former Leeds United officer

A FORMER employee at Leeds United has been awarded more than £130,000 in a spate of claims against the club.

Former Education and Welfare officer Lucy Ward was fired from her position in July 2015 after 17 years years, and claimed unfair dismissal and sex discrimination at a hearing in April 2016.

She has now been awarded £127,229 for sex discrimination and a further £5,525 in respect of unfair dismissal, according to the BBC.

Ms Ward said she was told by chairman of Leeds Ladies FC Gary Cooper that Mr Cellino had said to him: “Football is no place for women, they should be in the bedroom or the beauticians.”

The club must also pay Ms Ward £55,000 in costs and taxes.

In April, the club paid out £331,426 in damages to Brian McDermott’s former assistant Nigel Gibbs after an unlawful dismissal claim.

He said he had been demoted to working with the under 18s and under 21s after a fall out with David Hockaday.