The board which oversees the theatre says that it will ‘vigorously defend’ the case, paving the way for a full public airing of the events of the last 18 months during which relations between Mr Stephens and the board have been strained.
It also means that the board will have to defend two claims – another employee previously sacked by Mr Stephens is also suing for unfair dismissal.
Mr Stephens was sacked for gross misconduct amid claims that the employee – Michael Hamilton, the husband of the theatre’s deputy director – had been kept on the payroll for nine months despite taking a full-time job in the finance industry.
Mr Stephens says that he is ‘not comfortable’ taking the action, but feels that he has no other choice.
‘As the Assistant Minister for Culture reported to the States last week, the board feels that the Employment Tribunal is the best solution to this matter, rather than the independent investigation I and the staff of the Opera House were told would take place at the time of my suspension.
‘I don’t feel that the board has left me other options,’ he said.
