Andrew Thorburn legal action against Essendon Bombers over CEO wrongful dismissal
Andrew Thorburn appears to be set to take legal action against Essendon for ‘wrongful dismissal’ as CEO of the AFL club.
That’s despite the Bombers announcing that Thorburn had opted to quit, less than 24 hours after he was announced as the club’s new boss in a bombshell last month.
Thorburn’s reign as boss of Essendon came to a sensational end a day after he began, when it was revealed that he was president of a church that denounces homosexuality and compares abortion to concentration camps.
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Bombers president David Barham told the media that Thorburn chose to resign during a conversation about the revelations.
“It’s difficult because in interview processes you’re not allowed to ask about people’s religious (beliefs), it’s against the law,” Barham said last month.
“What we did as soon as we saw them was we acted. This morning I saw him (Thorburn) at first thing and we spent most of the day talking and he decided (resigning) was what he would do.
“These comments were buried deep in sermons from years ago, so they weren’t so easily found.
“In the end, I carefully checked Andrew’s credentials. I called five incredibly high-profile people who had worked with him and worked for him, and I had no reason to believe anything other than him. was a suitable candidate.”
While Barham claimed Thorburn voluntarily quit, The Age and 3AW reporter Sam McClure is now reporting that Thorburn is taking legal action.
“Andrew Thorburn has retained legal counsel for wrongful dismissal by Essendon Football Club,” McClure tweeted Thursday night.
The Bombers have yet to replace Thorburn and currently do not have an active CEO.
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