Christchurch Airport Two Customs officers have been given their jobs back, after they were fired for allegedly leaking claims about a gay colleague to a newspaper. Christchurch Customs officers Glenn Rankin and John Smith were said to have accused a gay colleague seeking more than his share of strip-search assignments and making lewd comments about male passengers. Both men denied leaking material and claimed they were unjustifiably dismissed. The Employment Relations Authority has found there not enough evidence that the men were responsible for leaking the information and has ordered they be reinstated. Customs must now backpay their wages from when they were dismissed. The ERA has not awarded compensation for hurt and humiliation. The case disclosed a Customs Service policy that bars the service from asking the sexual orientation of its frontline officers because of potential charges of unlawful discrimination. Its legal advice says passengers are not entitled to know the sexual orientation of officers conducting strip searches at airports and ports.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 12th August 2010 - 7:13pm