SA trainer Anthony Thomas sexually harassed younger rising equestrian star Kate Crauford, court rules, must pay $21,000
One of SA’s top horse trainers sent a young rising star “offensive, humiliating” messages, a court has ruled, ordering he pay her damages.
Embattled equestrian trainer Anthony Thomas has been ordered to pay a rising star 25 years his junior $21,000 in damages after a court found he had sexually harassed her in “offensive, humiliating and intimidating” Facebook messages.
In a mixed judgment on Thursday, and after 12 months of deliberation, the Federal Court upheld some, but not all, of Kate Crauford’s human rights claim against Mr Thomas.
Justice Stephen McDonald found that:
• Mr Thomas’ conduct involved sending Facebook messages which could be characterised, under law, as sexual harassment.
• Mr Thomas’ other conduct as alleged by Ms Crauford did not occur in circumstances to which sexual harassment laws could be applied.
• Equestrian SA was not a “club” for the purposes of sexual harassment law and Ms Crauford was not a contracted worker for Mr Thomas.
• Mr Thomas was a person who was providing services to Ms Crauford meaning sexual harassment law applied to part of his conduct.
Justice McDonald said that he “accepted on balance” that all of Mr Thomas’s conduct “occurred as alleged” by Ms Crauford.
“Some but not all of the Facebook messaging could be characterised as having a sexual nature,” he said
“I accept it was unwelcome and that a reasonable person in the position of Mr Thomas would have anticipated that some of the conduct might have offended, humiliated or intimidated Ms Crauford.
“Ms Crauford’s claim should be upheld in part.”
Outside court, Holly Veale for Ms Crauford called the judgment “huge” and said she was “proud” of the Crauford family.
“What Kate has done by bringing this action has create law in the space of sexual harassment that hasn’t existed,” Ms Veale said.
“What she’s done is push the narrative that it is not okay for men in positions of power to take advantage of young women for their own benefits.
“The Crauford family did that off their own back, I’m very, very proud of what we’ve done.”
Ms Veale said the finding that Mr Thomas sexually harassed Ms Crauford within the definitions within the legislation would be “significant” for any future cases brought before the court.
“These provisions have been in existence since 1993 and there is no case law for a number of these provisions, so now we have some,” Ms Veale said.
Sophie Crauford, Kate’s mother, said she was glad it was all over.
Neither Ms Crauford nor Mr Thomas were present in court on Thursday.
In December 2023, Ms Crauford filed action against Mr Thomas alleging he sexually harassed and tried to “groom” her.
She alleged that harassment arose from being bombarded with hundreds of inappropriate, and offensive messages, seeing him semi-naked and repeatedly being left feeling uncomfortable.
Mr Thomas denied the allegations, saying all contact between them had been “friendly banter”.
In April 2024, Ms Crauford asked the court to award extra damages due to social media posts Mr Thomas had made about the case.
At trial in October 2024, she alleged she felt “intimidated” after Mr Thomas’ “clearly inappropriate” advances towards her.
His 1500 text messages, she alleged, were “overtly familiar” and objectified her by telling her she had “legs to die for”.
During his evidence, Mr Thomas conceded he had “made up” comments by a judge, in a social media post, about Ms Crauford’s case.
However, he maintained he had not sexually harassed her – in part because she was never his employee, meaning her allegations did not meet the legal test.
In court on Thursday, Justice McDonald conceded the conclusions he had reached “are somewhat complex”.
He said the conduct he had found proven warranted an award of damages, from Mr Thomas to Ms Crauford, of $15,000.
He said Ms Crauford also deserved further damages from Mr Thomas.
“For his publication (on Facebook) representing that her claim had been disregarded I also consider that an award of aggravated damages should be paid,” he said.
He ordered Mr Thomas pay Ms Crauford an additional $6000 for that social media activity.
The parties will return to court at a later date to determine costs.
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Originally published as SA trainer Anthony Thomas sexually harassed younger rising equestrian star Kate Crauford, court rules, must pay $21,000
