A LONDON council worker who subjected a female client with an incurable illness to a “barrage” of biblical bullshit has lost an unfair dismissal claim.
Duke Amachree, who foisted his delusional beliefs on a client
A tribunal heard that when the woman, referred to as Ms X, told Duke Amachree that she was suffering from an incurable disease as they discussed her housing case in January last year, the homelessness officer outlined his religious beliefs and suggested she “should put her faith in God”.
Wandsworth Council said Ms X complained that she faced a “30 minute barrage” from the advisor during which she was also told not to bother with doctors.
The council said it was “inappropriate and unacceptable” that Amachree also revealed details about Ms X to the media which could have led to her identification.
The London South employment tribunal, which heard the case in June and July, ruled the dismissal was “fair” and there was no discrimination on the grounds of his religion.
But the Christian Legal Centre, which backed Amachree, says it is “shocked” and “stunned” over the tribunal’s decision to support the Council’s sacking of the zealot for gross misconduct.
The CLC this week bleated:
As a result of the comments he made in one 45 minute housing interview, he was subject to 6 months of investigations and three interviews with the Council. His solicitor was even told by the Council that saying ‘God bless’ to a client would require an investigation if the client complained.
Andrea Minichiello Williams
Andrea Minichiello Williams, founder and director of the Christian Legal Centre, added:
We are stunned that the tribunal failed to recognise the draconian way in which Mr Amachree was treated and we are dismayed that they found that Mr Amachree had not been discriminated against on the grounds of his faith. This decision will send yet more shock waves through the Christian community when they realise that a couple of comments encouraging faith in God can lead to a person being dismissed for gross misconduct.
Amachree said:
I am devastated by the outcome. This is a sad day for Christians who simply want to live out their faith in the workplace without fear.
A spokesman for Wandsworth Council said:
We’re delighted that the tribunal has found in our favour, supported the common sense and wholly reasonable way we handled this case and rejected the totally spurious and misleading claims that were made against us.
The CLC indicated that it would appeal against the tribunal’s decision.
Hat tip: Stuart W
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
August 13th, 2010 at 9:22 am
In my ‘umble opinion, they really shouldn’t appeal this one…
Win or lose these legal groups win, as they use the failure to reinforce the “persecution” narrative and we’ve already had the appeal for more funds…
August 13th, 2010 at 10:03 am
He should have kept his delusional beliefs to himself when dealing with a client.
August 13th, 2010 at 10:43 am
“This is a sad day for Christians who simply want to live out their faith in the workplace without fear.”
I wonder does she feel the same way about LGBTs.
August 13th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
No mention from Williams of the real victim then, the incurably ill woman who was subject to Amacree’s unwanted preaching.
August 13th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
No kidding, David. Mostly, though as bothersome as I’m sure the god-botherer’s sermon was, I can’t believe he gave away her information to the media and thought he could walk off without a care in the world. Sounds like what Carl Rove thinks about Valerie Plame.
August 13th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
That Andrea Williams looks like an true fundy obsessive. As an example of a deluded religionot she looks the part. All the expense, delay, waste of money which could be spent to better purpose while this incompetent and useless berk is investigated. No doubt feeling self righteous to the end.
August 13th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
These xtians just do not want to abide by the same rules as everyone else, they want the freedom to interfere and prey upon the vulnerable without consequence. They seem to forget that they are being paid to do a job and not paid to proselytise. If Mr Amachree wants to preach his god bollocks he should give up the job he is being paid to do and join a church. This case is a good result for common sense.
Barry that is a nice picture of psycho-bitch Williams looking crazier than ever.
August 13th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Great verdict, but one thing that really worries me is that this chump was only put in his place by his employers (ultimately, us)because he works in a public sector with legally enforceable standards of service that hasn’t yet been ‘improved’ by the ridiculous ‘Big Society’ scam.
Think about this, if the Big Society plans for ‘third sector’ (i.e. religious) groups to take over social services go unchallenged this berk would still be doing his job, but under the control of a faith based charity. And would they be likely to even listen to complaints from the poor public? More likely the poor sod being abused biblically would just get another sermon from an equally faith-challenged supervisor.
August 13th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
“he was subject to 6 months of investigations and three interviews with the Council”
What a waste of resource/money. He should just have been fired as a hazard to the public for the astoundingly irresponsible behaviour of advising the vulnerable to not consult doctors.
August 13th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Amachree isn’t the first tambourine thrasher to get fired for proselytising and if the CLC want to waste their money on him then fine.
I read an article recently entitled “The Slow, Whiny Death of British Xianity”. Maybe this is a good example of it:
http://www.johannhari.com/2010.....ristianity
August 13th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
“This is a sad day for Christians who simply want to continue to ram their ill-informed ideas down people’s throats without let or hindrance.”
(Paraphrase)
August 13th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Is someone around here getting spanish lessons? (maybe Barry is as I learnt from a previous post that he is moving to Spain…)
Anyway, here is an article in spanish in which the catholic church expresses its opinions and prejudices as if they were logical deductions or observable facts, with regards to validating gay marriage, an issue that is being currently discussed by the Colombian Constitutional Court.
http://www.eltiempo.com/colomb....._7860310-1
For those who don’t read spanish, I’m summarizing the intervention and obstrucion the church is making in this state matter.
These are the arguments (I know it may be too heavy-handed to call this statements arguments, as they pose as self evident and as they are based on irrational assumptions):
1. Validating gay marriage would alter the social order.
2. Validating gay marriage would disseminate homosexuality.
3. Whole purpose of marriage is to have a family.
4. [This false analogy is my favorite]: Just as introducing fake money would devaluate real money and would alter economic order, introducing gay marriage would devaluate real marriage and alter social order.
5. Science has proven that homosexuals are made not born.
Our Constitutional Court has history of being easily convinced by opinions that pose as logical deductions – there once was a 22 year old indigenous female representative running for the local council where the minimum required age is 25. A lawsuit argued that according to traditions indigenous females attain the majority of age with their first menstruation, and since “legal” majority age is 18 and first menstruation occurs at 15, we must add 3 years to the “real” age of the indigenous female to get her “legal” age. With this pos-modern mathematics, the court approved the lawsuit and the indigenous female was elected.
I hope they do not repeat history and dismiss as fraud and prejudice what the catholic church has said.
August 13th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Broadsword, I have read that Johann Hari article elsewhere and was particularly gobsmacked by the quote from retired ABofC George Cary. He ludicrously asserts that Christians are second class citizens while ignoring the mountain of privilage that Hari then proceeds to point out. He also claims that it is only one small step to employement discrimination against Christians. Does he not know that the UK and Europe have laws against such discrimination? Is he not also aware that the only organisation in the UK that managed to weedle itself an exemption to these laws is the effing Church of England?
August 13th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Isn’t it terrible? All those christians fearing for their jobs, their homes and whatnot. The way some of them whine, they’ll be thrown before the lions again in the very near future. I don’t know about them being right about their invisible friend, but religion seems to have a big impact on some people’s intelligence.
August 13th, 2010 at 7:01 pm
I concur with Stuart. Someone was saying recently that in America he can argue quite happily for local communities getting together to help those in need and provide what is wanted, etc, but as soon as he points out the logic of the state doing the same thing on a national scale he is shouted down with cries of “socialism”! As with “free schools”, this “Big Society” is going to be a juggernaut out of control.
August 13th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
“As a result of the comments he made in one 45 minute housing interview, he was subject to 6 months of investigations and three interviews with the Council.”
The CLC stated this in a tone which implied that this “6 months of investigations” was somehow a punishment aimed at Mr. Amachree. Nothing could be further from the truth. This long period of review is a standard policy adopted years ago to protect workers from wrongful dismissal by their employers. The investigations were aimed more at Wandsworth Council and acted as a protection of Mr. Amachree’s rights as an employee.
The statement by the CLC was dishonest.
August 13th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
That psychobitch – good description – looks seriously off the wall. Looking at her, a painful experience and to be kept brief, she is out to inflict pain. Give her the chance and you can imagine the slavering delight if only she could get the thumbscrews, rack and hot irons to work on we atheists. Scary! How many of them are there out there.
August 14th, 2010 at 3:45 am
Oh noes! Another hectoring, predatory, unprofessional religious shit is being “persecuted”!
This arsehole wouldn’t last a second in US public employment, where the ban on religious promotion is still, in general, enforced vigorously(presidents, senators and congressmen excluded). Moreover, this ban is enforced by Americans who would, for the most part, regard themselves as christians.Understanding the need for strict secularism in the public sphere is hardly rocket science. If most US christians can get it, it’s well past time it was slowly and carefully explained to Mr Amachree and his pop-eyed chums.
August 14th, 2010 at 10:04 am
These assholes think they should be able to shove god down our throats 24/7. Then they turn around and screech about the “homosexual agenda” if a gay person isn’t locked inside the closet everywhere except in their own homes with all the lights turned off. Bloody hypocritical fuckwits.
August 14th, 2010 at 11:41 am
Hey Barry, keep these pics of Andrea coming.
) She could rant and rave at me for hours. As long as she was in black leather.
Is it just me?
I’ll get me coat….
August 14th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Just for you Stargraves, the next time I post a pic of our favourite Christian dominatrix, I’ll have her in leather. With a whip. And maybe some chains. After all, that’s what Photoshop is for.
August 14th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
I look forward to it Barry! ;o)
August 15th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
Barry/Stargraves
Parading around with a strap-on for Stephen Green perhaps?
August 17th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
“Bitch, shits, arseholes, fuckwits.” What a pity Barry Duke doesn’t moderate this site with some sense of good manners befitting the noble philosophy of Humanism.
August 18th, 2010 at 6:24 am
What does outrage really mean? Is it a gay stove? A person partying outdoors? These diabolical xian types, surrounded by a world of faith based bullsh*t are unable to separate fact from fiction. But hey, that’s not new. What’s new is the claim of their being discriminated against. They can’t see that their belief system is based on bigotry and hatred. Hatred of all who don’t conform to their narrow views, those who don’t throw money at the church, those who actively speak up about and against the most evil con ever contrived. It’s as dodgy as a 1975 Jag. The wheels will eventually fall off it.