Renee Ferguson pursuing Cricket Tasmania for $1 million compensation over claims of inappropriate sexual conduct and discrimination
The woman at the centre of the Tim Paine sexting saga is facing questions about why she took so long to pursue legal action.
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A sexual harassment compensation claim by the woman at the centre of the Tim Paine cricket sexting scandal hangs in the balance because she took so long to file it with the court.
Renee Ferguson is pushing for Cricket Tasmania to apologise and cough up $1 million for the inappropriate sexual conduct and discrimination she claims she suffered while working as a receptionist for them between 2015 and 2017.
But Cricket Tasmania has denied any wrongdoing and says Ms Ferguson’s case should be thrown out before it begins due to her “very long delay” in pursuing it.
Ms Ferguson, 47, had 60 days to lodge her claim to the Federal Court from when her complaint to the Human Rights Commissions ended in November 2018.
But she did not launch any action until November last year.
On Tuesday, she applied to the Federal Court for an extension of time, citing mental health and not wanting to relive the trauma as reasons for the almost three-year delay.
She claims she had suffered anxiety, depression and was unable to work due to her time at Cricket Tasmania, living off Jobseeker government fortnightly payments of $648 for the last two years.
But Justice Mordy Bromberg and Bruce McTaggart, SC, for Cricket Tasmania, questioned why no medical evidence was provided to back up her claims.
Mr McTaggart also accused Ms Ferguson of not telling the truth about her work history.
He grilled Ms Ferguson, who was giving evidence remotely from Queensland, about working at pubs in Melbourne and Bendigo during that time.
Ms Ferguson admitted she had been at the Golden Square pub since September 2019, but that ceased when the pandemic forced it to close in March 2020.
But the court was shown an article from the Bendigo Advertiser where she was pictured and quoted under her maiden name, Renee Carroll, as the owner of the local Golden Square Hotel talking about how Covid restrictions had impacted the pub in May 2020.
“You are making it sound like a big full-time job,” she said, adding that she lived at the pub, so spent a lot of time there.
She later said a text message, shown to the court, to the pub’s licensee and her former lover, Ben Rickman, indicating she was working “80-plus” hours a week was “probably a fabrication”.
In August last year, when Mr Rickman cancelled the licence, Ms Ferguson said she wanted to take it over.
“I was prepared to work,” she said. “I wanted to continue to trade to get out of the debt that he’d left the landlords in.”
Mr McTaggart also questioned Ms Ferguson about the job she obtained with Audio Clinic a month after she left Cricket Tasmania in December 2017.
She told the court she was awarded worker’s compensation from her time there after being subjected to bullying and harassment by three employees.
Ms Ferguson said her doctor deemed her unfit to work for 12 months from August 2018 due to what happened at Audio Clinic, and Cricket Tasmania.
Justice Bromberg reserved his decision.
If he grants Ms Ferguson’s application, a trial will proceed.
An earlier court heard that Paine could be called to give evidence if it does go to trial.
The former Australian Test cricket captain was forced to step away indefinitely from the sport after admitting he had sent lewd messages, including a dick pic, to Ms Ferguson.
The star wicketkeeper batsman claims the messages were consensual.
Paine is among four Cricket Tasmania staff Ms Ferguson has made claims of sexual harassment against.
Despite mediation, the parties remain at loggerheads and have been unable to come to a resolution.
In May 2018, Tasmania Police charged Ms Ferguson with 63 counts of stealing $16,466 from Cricket Tasmania while she was employed there.
Sixteen days later, Cricket Tasmania says it was made aware of Ms Ferguson’s sexual harassment allegations.
Originally published as Renee Ferguson pursuing Cricket Tasmania for $1 million compensation over claims of inappropriate sexual conduct and discrimination
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