Lucie Kon Receives £400,000 Settlement from BBC After Antisemitism Claim

Lucie Kon, a producer with an Oscar, an Emmy, and a BAFTA, has received a payout of more than £400,000 from the BBC. The settlement resolves an unfair dismissal claim she filed after leaving the corporation in April. The payment is partly funded by the television license fee, and the BBC did not admit liability for the dispute.

Kon alleged that her standing at the broadcaster changed after the October 7 attacks in Israel. She described a conversation with a colleague in which she remarked that Hamas were evil. The colleague replied that Zionists were evil, treating the two groups as interchangeable. Kon later raised concerns about how Jewish staff were treated and insisted that employees should be able to describe Hamas as committing acts of terror. A colleague told her that if she called Hamas terrorists, she was required to call Israel a terrorist state as well.

Kon helped create an internal WhatsApp group for Jewish employees and wrote to then-Director General Tim Davie to flag her concerns. She later proposed a film about the events of October 7. Her manager initially suggested the project would go ahead but required the film to contextualize why Hamas acted as it did. When Kon explained the project was a straightforward account of the day, her manager’s manager removed her from the project. Kon stated she was told the decision was made because she was Jewish and therefore partial.

Kon filed a formal grievance, which the BBC’s internal processes did not uphold. During her appeal, the corporation moved the colleague who had made the earlier remarks to a different location. Kon was barred from traveling, commissioning, or speaking for the BBC to avoid unfairness to that colleague. By December, she submitted a doctor’s note for stress-related sick leave. Upon her return, she applied for a newly created role but was rejected. She was made redundant in April.

The BBC refused to apologize or label Kon a victim of antisemitism. A BBC spokesperson stated that the corporation was grateful Kon acknowledged the BBC is not institutionally antisemitic. The spokesperson noted that while the internal processes did not uphold the allegations, the outcome recognized shortcomings and the personal impact on Kon. The BBC described Kon as a valued member of staff with many years of dedicated service.

Kon told The Telegraph that other Jewish colleagues continue to face bullying. She said friends who remain at the BBC feel embarrassed to identify as Zionist or Jewish. Kon described her experience as having the word Jew stamped on her forehead. She noted that the BBC encourages staff to bring their authentic selves to work, and that she did so until she lost her job.