Toowoomba Golf Club pays $200k to pro golfer Leah Hart in lawsuit settlement over terminated contract

A pro golfer has been awarded $200,000 as part of a settlement with a Toowoomba golf club.

Leah Hart has won $200,000 as part of a settlement with the Toowoomba Golf Club.

The Toowoomba Golf Club will fork out $200,000 as part of a legal settlement with pro golfer Leah Hart, after she sued the club over the termination of her contract.

Club president Tim Davis confirmed the settlement figure to members this week, after the matter was launched by Ms Hart in March 2020.

In his statement, Mr Davis said the case cost an extra $170,000 in legal fees, in what was an “expensive and disruptive process”.

“Whilst this is not a particularly pleasing outcome, we were advised by our legal team that to proceed the matter in the District Court at a trial would have costs of a further $125,000,” he wrote.

“Whilst our team remained confident of success at trial, the issue of costs and the uncertainty around the recovery of costs from the plaintiff, the board viewed it to be prudent to move on from this case.

“This has been a very time consuming, expensive and disruptive process.”

Ms Hart had filed for loss and damages worth $557,131 in court, but she reduced her claim to about $300,000 some months prior to mediation this week.

In a statement, she said she had “mixed emotions” about the outcome.

“I am relieved that a settlement has been reached, but disappointed that a mutual statement regarding my departure was not agreed,” she said.

“During my time at the club, I felt that my team and I achieved a great deal of success, particularly financially, and built a strong rapport with members.

“It was such a great shame that my relationship with the club’s board became untenable.

“I do not wish to comment any further at this stage, but look forward to discussing my experience in the future as I advocate for opportunities for women in the workplace.”

Ms Hart argued the club wrongfully terminated her contract as a golf pro after she raised complaints about the conduct of board director Ben Lusk.

Ms Hart, who was in a relationship with Mr Lusk until September 2018, also claimed the board did not put in place measures to limit her dealings with him, as well as ensuring he would not make any decisions on her contract.

The club emailed Ms Hart several letters from February 2019 alleging she had breached her contract, something she said was invalid.

Her claim says the club ranked her performance in 2018 as “consistently exceeding expectations or better”, and three months before termination as “predominantly meeting expectations or better”.

Davidson and Sullivan’s David Meara, who represented the club, declined to comment.