Nurse was left ‘sobbing and shaking’ when transgender NHS worker repeatedly asked ‘when she was getting changed’ in female locker rooms at hospital

A nurse told a landmark employment tribunal she was ‘sobbing and shaking with a panic attack’ when she had to share a changing room with a transgender colleague in boxer shorts behind her.

Karen Danson, 46, is one of seven nurses who received health care claims for sexual discrimination and sexual harassment because nurse Rose Henderson, who was born male but identifies as female, was able to share women’s changing rooms.

They say the actions of County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust (CDDFT) contradict the Supreme Court decision in April this year, which found that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘gender’ in the Equality Act referred only to a biological woman and biological sex.

The group is backed by the likes of Harry Potter author and outspoken women’s rights campaigner JK Rowling, who said before the hearing: ‘Millions of women support them.’

Rose Henderson started working as an operating room practitioner at Darlington Memorial Hospital in 2019. Because Rose identified as female, staff were given a locker in the changing room, which until then had been used only by female nurses.

The court decided that Henderson would be referred to as “Rose” and “they” throughout the hearing.

A photograph of Henderson was also shown in court after Ms Danson was asked whether the image, taken from social media, represented how Rose was presented at the time of the incident. He said so.

At the end of September 2023, Ms Danson said she encountered Henderson at close range, wearing only a nursing bib and tight black boxer shorts with holes in the top half.

In her witness statement, she said she first encountered Henderson around August 2023 and thought her colleague was male.

Karen Danson, 46, is one of seven nurses to receive health clearance over allegations of sexual discrimination and sexual harassment

‘RH looked masculine, he had facial hair and there was nothing in RH’s appearance that would suggest RH was anything other than a man,’ he said.

She added that when she heard the rumor of a trans person joining the foundation, she ‘expected a trans person to look, dress and generally present themselves as a woman.’

Giving evidence today, Ms Danson said when she encountered Henderson in the dressing room they asked him three times if he would change.

Miss Danson was horrified and told the court the incident had reignited the trauma of childhood sexual abuse.

Giving evidence at the hearing in Newcastle, he said: ‘I walked into the dressing room and had to walk past Rose Henderson’s locker to get to mine, which was right at the bottom of the L-shaped dressing room.

‘Rose Henderson and I didn’t know each other at all and we were alone in the dressing room. While I was rummaging through my bag to find my locker keys, I suddenly shouted from behind: “Didn’t you change?” I heard a male voice ask.

‘I just said ‘No’. I continued rummaging through my bag and found my keys.

‘I opened my cupboard and started rummaging through it to find my cream. And then Rose Henderson’s voice asked again: “Aren’t you changing yet?” I said “No” again.

‘I kept going through my closet but I kept forgetting what I was looking for because all I could think was: “Why is this guy asking me if I want to change? Is he trying to provoke me for some reason?”

He said Henderson was standing just two meters away from him and there was no one else in the room.

He added: ‘I started texting my wife saying “I’m done. I’m changing, see you soon.”

Ms Danson said when she encountered Henderson in the dressing room they asked him three times if he would change.

Annice Grundy, Lisa Lockey, Jane Peveller, Karen Danson, Carly Hoy, Tracey Hooper and Bethany Hutchinson are nurses who take on the health foundation.

‘As I was writing Rose Henderson said again: “Aren’t you changing yet?” and asked this three times in not even five minutes.

‘Once again I said ‘No’. Then a sort of “fight or flight” response kicked in. I literally felt glued to my seat. I couldn’t move. I felt sick. My hands were sweaty.

‘I didn’t know Rose Henderson at this point and didn’t know she identified as a woman. It looked like there was a man in our dressing room who wanted to watch me undress.’

Ms Danson said she eventually became ‘shaking, hyperventilating and sweating’.

‘My eyes filled with tears, I was trying to hold them back but some may have rolled down my cheeks,’ she added. ‘I was crying silently and rubbing my hands on my trousers because of the sweat.’

The nurse said the incident took her back to when she was sexually abused as a child.

‘I’ve thought about the incident many times since then,’ he said. ‘Rose Henderson must know I’m very sorry. He was only five feet away from me.

‘I was sobbing, shaking and breathing heavily due to a panic attack. Rose Henderson was grinning at me.’

The hearing heard he has been experiencing nightmares and flashbacks every day since the incident.

Simon Cheetham, KC, of ​​the Hospital Trust, said Rose Henderson refused to question him about whether she was about to change.

Ms Danson will be the first of seven Darlington nurses to give evidence detailing their distress at sharing changing rooms with transgender colleagues.

The others are Bethany Hutchison, 36; Annice Grundy, 56; Lisa Lockey, 52; Carly Hoy, 31; Tracey Hooper (47) and Jane Peveller (51).

They are filing a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, discrimination, victimization and violation of the right to private life within the scope of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The trial continues.