http://www.smh.com.au/news/lhqnews/bjacquelin-magnayb/2009/06/11/1244664795876.html
Hall says CEO left her exposed to violent threats
FRESH claims about the deteriorating relationship between the Sharks chief executive Tony Zappia and former employee Jenny Hall centred on an alleged breach of trust.
The
Herald can reveal the final straw in the work relationship between the two - that prompted Hall to formally set in motion a sexual-harassment claim against Zappia last November - occurred when Zappia allegedly left Hall vulnerable to threats of physical violence by a third party.
Last night, Zappia resigned as chief executive as the Sharks board was due to consider his future after an internal club investigation and responses from Zappia's legal counsel concerning the accidental punch and its aftermath.
But the
Herald can reveal there had been a series of incidents leading up to the formal sexual-harassment complaint, including the accidental punch that left Hall with a severely infected black eye and the ensuing tape recording that was broadcast last Sunday by Channel Seven.
Hall had detailed in writing to the club that Zappia had called her a stripper, that he made a sexual reference to her about "a handy", and that he made comments about her bottom being exposed when she bent over.
But the tipping point happened in late October and early November last year. Hall told the
Herald she was wrongly accused of being caught in the middle of a player contract negotiation. She claims Zappia told a player manager that information a female colleague had provided about the player to the club was a reason the club decided not to offer a contract to the player.
Hall became aware of this when she started to receive serious threats of violence from associates of the player. She was upset at being threatened and that she had been used as an excuse to not sign the player.
Zappia denied talking about a female colleague to the player manager when Hall confronted him about it. However, while Zappia was in the same room, Hall said she contacted the player and on speaker phone asked him directly if Zappia had given her name to him. The player allegedly said Zappia had told both himself and his manager about the "female colleague" at the Sharks.
Hall said in the conversation that followed Zappia denied what the player had said and accused the player of lying or that Hall had set him up.
Hall then claims Zappia said he would phone the player and tell him that Hall had said other things about him. Hall then accused Zappia of being a grub and unethical. This tit-for-tat exchange occurred in the football offices at the Sharks, and much of it was witnessed by a third person, Hall said.
