前自由党参议员Linda Reynolds办公室主任Fiona Brown已与澳大利亚联邦政府就职场权利侵犯纠纷达成和解[1]。此案源于2021年Brittany Higgins公开指控，称其在2019年遭同事Bruce Lehrmann性侵[1]。Brown在此事件风波中成为中心人物，随后提起公平工作诉讼，声称自己的工作权利受到侵犯[1]。
Brown在诉讼中声称，时任总理Scott Morrison在议会中虚假声称与她讨论过Higgins的事情，且Morrison的顾问阻止她向媒体为自己辩护[1]。她表示感到恐惧并成为政府的替罪羊[1]。原定于3月在联邦法院进行的庭审已通过7月初的调解程序解决[1]。联邦检察长Michelle Rowland的发言人未透露具体和解金额[1]。
Fiona Brown, former chief of staff to Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, has reached a settlement with the Australian federal government over allegations that her workplace rights were violated in the aftermath of the Brittany Higgins sexual assault case [1]. Brown had filed a Fair Work claim asserting that she became a scapegoat for the government and experienced fear during interactions with then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison [1].
The dispute centered on events that unfolded after Higgins publicly disclosed in 2021 that she had been sexually assaulted by colleague Bruce Lehrmann in 2019 [1]. Brown claimed that Morrison falsely stated in parliament that he had discussed the matter with her, and that advisors to the Prime Minister prevented her from defending herself to the media [1]. The federal court trial, originally scheduled for March, was resolved through a mediation process completed in early July [1]. The federal Attorney-General's office did not disclose the settlement amount [1].