A CHARITY that was due to work with a fundraising firm where an employee was encouraged to have an abortion is considering breaking ties with the company.
Plan International, which helps children around the world, said its plans with Engage Fundraising are "under review" after the organisation was successfully sued by former employee Teri Cumlin for unfair dismissal and sex and pregnancy discrimination.
Other charities linked to the firm have also asked for their details to be removed from its website, which features client testimonials, and confirmed they have no plans to work with Engage in the future.
As reported in The Herald yesterday, Miss Cumlin's manager at Engage, Mark Robertson, urged her to have a termination when she told him she was pregnant and then sacked her when she did not.
He also subjected her to a catalogue of abuse and harassment, asking her if she "wished to be the kind of person who had different children to different fathers" and refusing to pay her for ante-natal appointments.
A spokesman for Plan International, which last used Engage fundraisers in March this year, confirmed there were plans to use them again in the coming year, but this is now being looked at.
He added: "We had no previous knowledge of this tribunal and cannot comment on proceedings. We are not currently running a campaign with Engage, however, we have contacted them and understand they are appealing the tribunal verdict.
"Plan expects the very highest ethical standards of our fundraisers and all our fundraising activity is regulated by the Fundraising Standards Board and the Institute of Fundraising.
"We are also active members of the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association which regulates all Face2Face fundraising activity."
A spokesman for another children's charity, World Vision UK, confirmed they now have no plans to work with Engage again.
He said: "We no longer work with the company and we've asked them to remove our details from their website."
The National Deaf Children's Society, who also appear on Engage's website and were one of the charity's Miss Cumlin claims she fundraised for, refused to comment on the case and said they would not speculate on who they might work with in the future.
However, a spokesman confirmed that their last campaign with Engage ended in November last year.
Miss Cumlin, 22, of Glasgow, whose child Thomas is four months old, was dismissed by Engage in December last year and raised en employment tribunal against the firm earlier this year.
Employment judge Robert Gall said he "regarded the dismissal as an act of discrimination" as a result of her pregnancy and awarded her more than £12,000.
Engage said it was unaware of the tribunal, claiming they moved office a few months ago. The address on the firm's website is the old address.
A spokeswoman for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) said the papers in the case would have been served on the address provided by Ms Cumlin.
The case is outwith the 14 day set period in which an appeal can be raised, however there is still scope for Engage to write to the judge and request a review of the judgment - a move which Engage have said they plan to pursue.
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