Youth worker ‘who uses tribunals to get rich quick’ loses 54th claim in a row
A youth worker has been accused of using employment tribunals as a vehicle to ‘get rich fast’ after having his 54th claim dismissed.
Joseph Johnson was criticised by employment judges after lodging a catalogue of bogus discrimination claims to ‘cause disruption’ and make a quick buck.
Mr Johnson, who mainly targets youth charities and schools, has launched 54 cases since 2016 – and not won any.
In Mr Johnson’s latest case, he brought a claim against the London Borough of Harrow.
Employment Judge Tanveer Rakhim said that Mr Johnson was ‘targeting legal representatives who were simply doing their job’ in this claim.
The judge indicated that Mr Johnson makes employment tribunal claims to ’cause disruption’.
Official records show he has previously brought cases against a primary school, a charity supporting disadvantaged youths, a hate crime charity and a charity youth club.
The employment tribunal, held in London, heard that Mr Johnson wanted to sue the London Borough of Harrow and an agency worker.
He claimed that agency worker Caroline Rowlands had failed to ‘act on information’ she had, the details of which weren’t shared by the tribunal.
Mr Johnson also alleged that the London Borough of Harrow had a duty to take action against the London Borough of Barnet – which he had previously tried to sue.
Mr Johnson’s claims were not supported by any facts, the tribunal found.
Judge Rakhim said the way Mr Johnson brought this claim demonstrated he was a ‘sophisticated litigant’.
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The tribunal said of a previous hearing related to this claim: ‘Employment Judge [Jamie] Anderson found [Mr Johnson] to be a serial litigant engaging in litigation by attrition.
‘This litigation is a continuation of that pattern, targeting legal representatives and an agency worker in a personal and vexatious manner.
‘These findings are not without foundation; [Mr Johnson] has issued at least 47 claims since 2016 prior to the seven cases against Barnet.
‘Many of these claims involved non-compliance with Tribunal directions.
‘This is now the 54th claim, namely the index claim before me.’
The judge found that Mr Johnson’s claim was ‘legally incapable of succeeding’.
Judge Rakhim added: ‘It is noted that [Mr Johnson] has not succeeded in any discrimination claim.
‘Most of his claims have been struck out for breach of orders or failure to pay deposit orders.
‘This supports the conclusion that the purpose of the claims is to cause disruption rather than to pursue genuine allegations.’
Mr Johnson tried to sue Benthal Primary School in London for sex and race discrimination in 2018.
Mr Johnson, who is black, started working for the school in 2014, and was the line manager of two women.
After their working relationship deteriorated, Mr Johnson wrote a letter of appraisal to them which wrongly accused them of putting children’s safety ‘at risk’.
This tribunal found that his letter was ‘curt to the point of rudeness’ and came across as ‘arrogant and authoritarian’.
He was suspended from his position after just a year in the role after the school found he had created a link to school footage on his own YouTube channel ‘which appeared to be part of a business venture set up for his own gain’.
This was a safeguarding issue, and he was later dismissed from his role.
His claims in this case were all dismissed.
He also took Newark Youth London, a youth club, to an employment tribunal in 2024 for multiple claims including discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Mr Johnson had worked there for just four months in 2023 and tried to claim £70,000 at the tribunal for injury to feelings.
He was unsuccessful, and Employment Judge Laura Howden-Evans said: ‘[Mr Johnson] views employment tribunal proceedings as a means to get rich fast, rather than this being somebody seeking compensation for genuine harm caused by acts of discrimination.’
Mr Johnson also sued the Oxford Kilburn Youth Trust, an after-school youth club, in 2023 for claims including race discrimination and race related harassment and discrimination.
He told the tribunal in that case that there was ‘unreasonable scrutiny’ of a ‘proposal’ he made while employed at the trust – he worked there for just two months.
Mr Johnson also alleged that ‘he was seen as a black employee’, not as ‘an individual’.
In that case, he admitted that he thought of employment tribunal claims as ‘the equivalent to him disciplining’ organisations.
He said: ‘If I am taking an organisation to the Employment Tribunal and they come back it is obviously retaliation there is always going to be a push back with false claims.’
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