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A council director targeted by a member of the public with legal action has voiced fears others could be singled out in the same manner.The case against East Herts DC's director of regeneration, customer and commercial Benjamin Wood was found by judges to be ‘totally without merit' in a hearing.Wood told The MJ: ‘For the council to be on the receiving end of legal action is nothing new. However, I was surprised to see a subsequent claim for damages lodged against me directly, with an explicit request from the claimant that the council was not to use any public funds or resources in my defence.'The complainant claimed they had suffered a transphobic attack by a civil enforcement officer in October. Wood had dismissed the initial complaint to the council after determining that bodycam footage provided no evidence of an attack, but civil legal action was then launched against him, alleging they had suffered discrimination, harassment and victimisation.Wood said: ‘Fortunately the claim was dismissed, but it will be interesting to see if this is the start of a new trend. In a world where customer expectations are high, their subjective experience can override real-world evidence, and the ability to construct and submit legal arguments through AI is easy, it might be that more public servants are finding themselves on the receiving end of personal litigation for actions undertaken in a professional capacity.'Council officers currently have limited statutory protections.In Wood's case, the council provided him with legal support to defend the action.Executive member for corporate services Cllr Joseph Dumont said: ‘Cases where officers are personally named in legal action are relatively uncommon, but local authority staff must be able to carry out their professional responsibilities without fear of being subjected to unfounded personal claims.‘The council has a duty of care to its employees and will provide support, including legal assistance, where needed.‘We fully support the right of residents to raise genuine concerns or complaints and are committed to handling those matters openly, fairly and transparently. However, where claims are found to be without foundation, the council will robustly defend its staff, both in the interests of fairness to those employees and the responsible use of public funds.'Wood added: ‘Provided you have your employer's support, you are confident in the governance and decision-making procedures in place, hopefully this won't discourage new talent from joining the sector.'

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LEGAL

Director issues warning following legal action

By Martin Ford | 15 September 2026

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