In the ongoing legal spat between Mary-Ellen Witzmann, the ex-Equal Opportunities Officer of Erfurt, and the city, the initial conciliation hearing scheduled at the Erfurter Arbeitsgericht (Erfurt Labor Court) had to be pushed back. According to Dirk Oppler, the court's spokesperson, the postponement is due to scheduling conflicts with one of the counseling lawyers, who will now address the matter on December 12th.
Originally, the aim was to assess the possibility of an amicable resolution between the parties as early as the following Tuesday. Mary-Ellen Witzmann's dismissal sparked a wave of criticism from various city council factions after she publicly implicated sexual misconduct and power abuse at the Erfurt Theater. Her removal was deemed premature by the city authorities, as they argued that she unilaterally disclosed the allegations in a newspaper without their approval.
Amid this tumult, Witzmann maintains that the justice system has neglected her due process regarding her employment termination. Ardently championing her cause, she emphasizes the necessity of eradicating sexual harassment and power abuse across all workplaces, not just in municipalities.
[Enrichment Data] The lawsuit initiated by Mary-Ellen Witzmann against the city continued at the Erfurter Arbeitsgericht (Erfurt Labor Court) in December 2023, following her dismissal without notice due to her public disclosure of allegations of sexual misconduct and power abuse at the Erfurt Theater. The conciliation hearing was delayed, and a verdict is anticipated to be rendered in April 2025[1]. The city's argument for Witzmann's dismissal was that she bypassed their approval process when disclosing the allegations in a newspaper[1].
