Brittany Higgins former boss Fiona Brown’s case over rape accusation settled by Commonwealth
A major update has emerged in the lawsuit brought by Brittany Higgins’ former boss after she sued the government following the fallout from the rape accusation saga.
The federal government has quietly settled a lawsuit brought against it by Brittany Higgins’ former boss, after she alleged she was gagged from responding to allegations she mishandled the former Liberal staffer’s rape claim.
Fiona Brown sued the commonwealth for damages, alleging she was prevented from responding to the allegation that Ms Higgins was not properly supported after she reported being sexually assaulted by her then-colleague, Bruce Lehrmann, inside senator Linda Reynolds’ office in March 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has continually denied the allegation.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.At the time, Ms Brown was Senator Reynolds’ chief of staff before she became former prime minister Scott Morrison’s director of operations, after the Coalition won the 2019 election.
Ms Brown claimed she suffered psychiatric injury and was left with post-traumatic stress disorder and a major depressive illness.
The case was first filed with Fair Work in March last year.
But the latest entry on the case’s Federal Court landing page reveals the matter has been marked “finalised-resolved” following a mediation between the parties earlier this month.
Ms Brown was named during Channel 10’s The Project’s original February 2021 broadcast where Ms Higgins alleged she had been sexually assaulted in Parliament House.
In her initial statement of claim filed to the court, Ms Brown alleged she was told by the commonwealth not to respond to questions put to her by a producer at 10.
She said she immediately felt “blindsided”, “in shock” and “broke down” while watching the broadcast in the then-Prime Minister’s office alongside colleagues.
Ms Higgins’ claims against Ms Brown are contradicted by a June 2019 text message from Ms Higgins to Ms Brown in which she said: “I cannot overstate how much I’ve valued your support and advice throughout this period. You’ve been absolutely incredible”.
Ms Brown alleged in her claim she was “scapegoated” by the government for its systemic failures, pressured to resign and sidelined from leadership meetings and discussions.
She was removed from Mr Morrison’s office and told her role would be “backfilled” by someone from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
During a press conference on February 16, 2021, Mr Morrison told journalists that those who were around Ms Higgins “were endeavouring” to support her but “clearly that was not effective”.
Ms Brown alleged the former prime minister, on behalf of the commonwealth, had asserted Ms Brown had “not supported Ms Higgins effectively”.
Mr Lehrmann’s initial criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court was abandoned due to juror misconduct and prosecutors declined to pursue a retrial, due to concerns for Ms Higgins’ welfare.
He then lost a subsequent defamation trial against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson in the Federal Court.
Justice Michael Lee, who presided over the defamation trial, found on the balance of probabilities that Mr Lehrmann had raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Sexual Assault Counselling Australia on 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Centre on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
