UK Woman Sues Boss After Mistaking ‘XX’ in Email for Kisses

In a one-of-a-kind incident, a woman from the United Kingdom sued her boss for sexual harassment after misinterpreting the use of ‘xx’ in his email as kisses, as reported by the BBC.

Karina Gasparova, an IT professional and project manager at essDOCS’ London office, filed a lawsuit against Alexander Goulandris, accusing him of sexual harassment, discrimination, and unfair dismissal. The case was taken to the employment tribunal.

The e-mail

As evidence in the case, Gasparova presented the following email text on which she sued Goulandris:

“Can you please complete the following:

The solution is currently used by xx Agris companies and yy Barge lines in corn cargoes in south-north flows in the ???? waterways.

Also, can you remind me of what the balance of the rollout will be and the approx. timing.

Thanks”

Gasparova claimed that the letters ‘xx’ indicated kisses, ‘yy’ represented sexual contact, and ‘????’ was a coded way of asking about her readiness to engage in sexual acts.

Court Proceedings

During the proceedings, Gasparova stated to the panel of judges that she believed Goulandris had shouted and yelled at her, expressing his desire for a sexual relationship, which she claimed to have rejected. She also described her boss as “rich and powerful,” suggesting that a man in his position would be too clever to make such advances.

The Judgement

After a comprehensive review of the case and the evidence presented, the employment tribunal at the London Central Court concluded that Gasparova’s perception of the events was skewed. Employment Judge Emma Burns remarked that Gasparova exhibited a consistent pattern of unfounded and sensational accusations without any supporting evidence. Furthermore, Gasparova’s contradictory statements went beyond mere lapses in memory, indicating a deliberate inconsistency.

As a result, the judges ordered Karina Gasparova to pay £5,000 (approximately Rs 5,13,012) to essDOCS.