BBC Settlement: £400,000 Paid to Producer Over Antisemitism Claims

More than £400,000 was paid by the BBC to Lucie Kon, an Oscar and Emmy-winning producer, to settle an unfair dismissal claim. The payout resolves a dispute that began after Kon alleged she was victimized and forced out of the corporation following the October 7 attacks in Israel. Kon left the broadcaster in April, just 19 days after winning an Oscar for her work.

Kon built a career producing major programs including Panorama, Today, BBC Breakfast, and Storyville. Her films have earned an Emmy, an Oscar, a BAFTA, and other industry honors. She spoke to The Telegraph on Sunday about the events leading to her departure. She stated that her professional treatment changed rapidly after the attacks.

Kon described a moment when she messaged a colleague on WhatsApp about the atrocities in Israel, remarking that Hamas were evil. The colleague responded by saying that Zionists were also evil. Kon said she was taken aback by the comparison, noting it was a tasteless thing to say at that moment in history. Later, when Kon raised concerns about the treatment of Jewish staff, another colleague told her that if she called Hamas terrorists, she had to call Israel a terrorist state as well.

Kon helped set up an internal WhatsApp group for Jewish employees and wrote to then-Director General Tim Davie to raise concerns. She proposed producing a film about the events of October 7 to a colleague who had previously made the inappropriate remarks. That colleague dismissed the idea, saying the corporation had made enough films about Israel. However, Kon’s manager later called her over to discuss the project.

Kon recalled her manager saying, “Lucie, we probably will do the Nova film,” but adding that they needed to contextualize why Hamas did what they did. When Kon explained the project was a straightforward account of that day, her manager’s manager informed her she could no longer oversee the film. When Kon asked why, the manager told her it was “because you’re Jewish” and stated she was partial. The person assigned to oversee the film instead was the same colleague who had previously equated Hamas and Israel.

Kon raised a formal grievance, but the news reached the colleague who had made the remarks about Zionists. That colleague wanted nothing to do with Kon, and the two could no longer attend meetings together. Kon was instructed not to come into work. Six months later, she received the outcome of the grievance. “It wasn’t upheld,” Kon said. “I was told that a lot of the things that I’d said people didn’t remember saying. And I was told that I’d been told - that I hadn’t been told I couldn’t work on the Nova film because I was a Jew - that they were worried about my mental health.”

Kon appealed the decision, but that appeal was also unsuccessful. During the appeal process, the BBC moved the colleague away from the Strand to work elsewhere. Kon was told she could no longer travel, commission, or speak on behalf of the BBC because it would be unfair to her colleague. She continued working from home while her appeal was considered, but by December, her health began to deteriorate due to stress.

After submitting a doctor’s note for stress-related sick leave, Kon was called into a meeting where she was told her job was being put at risk of redundancy. She applied for a newly created position upon returning from sick leave but was rejected. She was made redundant in April. According to The Telegraph, she is the first person known to have received a settlement from the BBC after alleging antisemitic behavior among colleagues.

The BBC agreed to pay Kon substantial compensation, partly funded by the license fee, without admitting liability. The corporation refused to apologize or admit she was a victim of antisemitism. A BBC spokesperson said in a statement, “We are grateful that Ms. Kon acknowledges that the BBC is not institutionally antisemitic. The BBC processes did not uphold any of Ms. Kon’s allegations of antisemitism. However, the outcome acknowledged shortcomings and the personal impact on Ms. Kon. We would like to acknowledge that Ms. Kon was a valued member of staff with many years of dedicated service to the BBC.”