Island Hotel Company Limited v. Bradley Babbs, Court of Appeal of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (2025)

The respondent was employed as a restaurant manager by Island Hotel Company Limited and was later dismissed for sexual harassment. The dismissal followed a complaint from a female employee alleging that the respondent offered to recommend her transfer to the restaurant under his management if she showed her “sexy body” on a video call. The respondent admitted that the video call did occur, but he denied that it was sexual in nature. The employer conducted an internal investigation, a hearing, and an appeal, where he was able to defend himself against the allegations. After the respondent’s termination, he filed a claim for wrongful dismissal, which was referred to the Industrial Tribunal. The Tribunal held that the dismissal was procedurally unfair because the employer had refused to provide a physical copy of the victim’s statement to the respondent, and therefore ordered the employer to pay BSD 31,200.00 in damages to him. The employer appealed the Tribunal’s decision, and the Court of Appeal found that the respondent had sufficient notice of the allegations, the opportunity to face his accuser, and the victim’s statement read to him. The Court also found that the internal appeal was not procedurally unfair to the respondent and concluded that the Tribunal’s decision improperly relied on unsupported claims. The Tribunal’s ruling was subsequently overturned.

Topics

• Employment discrimination
• Sexual harassment
• Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV)

Geographical location

• Central America & the Caribbean
• Bahamas

Keywords

• discrimination in the workplace
• unfair labor practice
• wrongful termination

Year

• 2025

External URL

• Island Hotel Company Limited v. Bradley Babbs, Court of Appeal of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (2025)

Court

• Court of Appeal of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas

Type

• Domestic Case Law

Jurisdiction

• Bahamas