Calling a gentleman "bald" is now equivalent to commenting about a woman's breasts, according to a judge in England. In other words, it's considered sexual harassment. The ruling, decided on by an employment tribunal of three balding men (you can't make this stuff up), came after electrician Tony Finn was called a "bald cunt" by a male supervisor at the manufacturing firm where he worked. The word "cunt" didn't bother him much at all, but labeling him as "bald" crossed the line. Finn will be receiving compensation, although the amount hasn't yet been determined.
From The Guardian:
Tony Finn – who is in line for compensation – had worked for the West Yorkshire-based British Bung Company for almost 24 years when he was fired in May last year. He took the company to the tribunal claiming, among other things, he had been the victim of sexual harassment after an incident with the factory supervisor, Jamie King.
Finn alleged that during a shopfloor row in July 2019, King had referred to him as a "bald cunt". The tribunal heard Finn was less upset by the "Anglo-Saxon" language than the comment on his appearance.
The allegation resulted in the panel – led by Judge Jonathan Brain – deliberating on whether remarking on his baldness was simply insulting or actually harassment.
"Of his own admission, Mr King's intention was to threaten [Finn] and to insult him. In our judgment, there is a connection between the word 'bald' on the one hand and the protected characteristic of sex on the other.
"[The company's lawyer] was right to submit that women as well as men may be bald. However, as all three members of the tribunal will vouchsafe, baldness is much more prevalent in men than women.
"We find it to be inherently related to sex."
