Former S4C executive suing broadcaster over alleged bullying by ex-CEO

Nina Massey, Press Association Law Correspondent

A former executive at S4C is suing the independent Welsh broadcaster over alleged bullying by its former chief executive.

Amanda Rees, who was S4C’s director of platforms from October 2021 to April 2024, alleges she was subjected to “demeaning and humiliating” behaviour by Sian Doyle.

She has lodged a case at the High Court against the broadcaster saying that as a result of its “negligence and breach of duty” she experienced “sustained, prolonged psychological distress”.

In court documents filed last month, Ms Rees claimed she has suffered “personal injury, loss and damage”.

In a defence to the claim filed at the beginning of May, lawyers for S4C said many of Ms Rees’s claims “lack appropriate particularity” and that she at no time told the broadcaster she was at any “risk of injury caused by stress and/or the workplace behaviours of others”.

Simon Plaut, for Ms Rees, said in court documents: “Throughout the claimant’s employment the defendant owed her a duty of care to protect her from suffering foreseeably psychiatric harm caused or contributed to by activities undertaken during her work.”

He added: “During her tenure as CEO, Sian Doyle adopted and demonstrated a management style that was uncompromising, divisive and rigid.

“She created and fostered a management culture within the defendant’s organisation that was defined by fear, dissatisfaction and poor leadership.

“The management style she adopted could properly be described as toxic and it was foreseeably harmful to its staff including the claimant.”

The documents allege that in February 2023, after two away days, Ms Doyle said she wanted to terminate all the commissioning team’s contracts “because she believed they were awkward and hostile and she wanted a change”.

Mr Plaut said Ms Rees became visibly upset during a meeting and “began to experience acute pains in her chest and back and felt sick and dizzy”.

He continued: “Her right hand turned blue. That afternoon she raised her symptoms with the management team and was encouraged to go to hospital.

“She had suffered heart failure due to stress.”

Ms Rees alleges a range of breaches of contract and negligence on the part of S4C, including that it “failed to implement any policies or procedures to minimise stress during organisational change”.

In court documents, Ian Clarke, for S4C, said medical tests Ms Rees underwent in 2018 “revealed the possibility of an earlier heart attack”.

He added: “In July 2021 the claimant’s records indicate that the claimant was in a depressed mood due to various serious negative life events.

“Despite the aforementioned health concerns it is noted that the claimant never took time away from work and never reported these issues to the defendant.

“Likewise the claimant never self-reported any issues about stress and/or her mental health deteriorating due to Sian Doyle’s alleged behaviour or any other workplace issues.”

Mr Clarke said the majority of Ms Rees’s claim is “entirely misconceived as it rests upon the assertion that she was vicariously upset on behalf of unnamed third parties”.

He added: “It is denied that such a premise can sustain any claim for personal injury, loss or damage.”

He said the allegation of a lack of due diligence has no factual basis, and the appointment of Ms Doyle was made after an appropriate procedure.

A spokesperson for the channel said: “S4C has lodged a robust defence against the allegations made.

“But as this is a legal matter, it would be inappropriate to make any further comment.”