Bexley Council faces lawsuit over alleged sexual assault

Michael Brown, 54, has handed the News Shopper a secret recording of the council officer swearing, referring to school staff as “these white people” and calling Mr Brown “Honey” and “Daddy”.

She also makes a series of political pronouncements about slavery, George Floyd and Malcolm X.

“I’ve been up there with Malcolm,” she claims. “I had my Malcolm X hat when I was growing up and I could show it to you.”

Mr Brown attended the meeting over a dispute with his son's school, over which he has also brought legal proceedings.

He described the council officer’s behaviour as “unhinged”.

“It was complete madness,” he said. “It’s like a movie. It’s so crazy. It’s unbelievable.”

He claims the officer groped him. He can be heard in the recording sounding panicked and protesting.

When he sought justice, he said, the authorities turned on him instead and charged him with a crime he hadn’t committed. He was later cleared.

He is now suing the council for more than £1bn, claiming that resulting investigations diverted him from high-stakes business deals he had been working on.

Bexley Council did not dispute the authenticity of the recording, but refused to say whether the officer has been investigated or disciplined.

A spokesperson said: “The council will strongly contest these proceedings.”

It has described his allegations in legal papers as “outrageous and offensive”.

Mr Brown's predicament began when his disabled son allegedly did not receive one-to-one support at Cleeve Park School, despite receiving High Needs Funding (Image: Google Streetview)

School

The alleged incident stemmed from a complaint about how Mr Brown’s disabled son was treated at school.

The teen has cerebral palsy and receives £25,000 of High Needs Funding per year, which Mr Brown says is for “one-to-one” assistance.

But at Cleeve Park School, Sidcup, the boy was allegedly told there weren’t enough staff to deliver it.

“I had no support,” the teen claimed. “I couldn’t sleep because it was very stressful. I ended up behind in my studies. I couldn’t focus.”

He claimed he and other disabled children were sometimes locked indoors during lunch breaks.

“They said they didn’t have enough staff,” he alleged. “We were having to watch other kids play. Some other kids, with autism, were going crazy. They were screaming and crying.”

Mr Brown pulled his son out of school, worried for his safety. He is now at another school, where he receives one-to-one help.

Cleeve Park rejected the father and son’s claims.

"At Cleeve Park we take the safety and needs of our students extremely seriously," it said.

"In March of last year, Mr Brown's claims against the trust were thrown out of court having been found to be totally without merit."

Mr Brown said he has appealed that ruling and showed the News Shopper a document stating that a new pre-trial hearing is currently awaiting a court date.

After reporting the incident, Mr Brown was arrested for supposedly harassing his son's school - but when the case came to court, prosecutors offered no evidence and he was cleared (Image: Michael Brown)

“These white people”

Mr Brown was invited to Bexley Civic Centre in March 2022 to discuss his complaint and secretly recorded his meeting with a black, female council officer.

She can be heard describing his complaint as “a big f***ing s***” and joking that “the whole f***ing school” are criminal suspects.

Accusing the school of “putting obstacles in our way”, she tells Mr Brown: “Let’s help this f***ing school. Help these white people.”

“I’ve got kids in these schools in Bexley as well, so I get it,” she says. “This stuff’s happened to me too.

“Believe me, you’ve put the wind up every – I’m gonna use the language – f***ing body with this.

“Nobody is relaxed about this situation, you know, Mr Brown. Nobody. We are scratching head. Everybody.”

“I admire you because some of us are too scared to go this far,” she continues. “So don’t think you haven’t had an impact.”

Michael Brown claims he was sexually assaulted by a council worker at Bexley Civic centre in March 2022 - but neither the council nor the Met Police has dealt with the incident (Image: Google Streetview)

“An ape”

Mr Brown is heard voicing his concern that if he keeps complaining, the school might accuse him of aggressive behaviour.

“Of course they will, ‘cause you’re the big, black guy,” the officer tells him. “You are everything they are scared of.

“There is respect for your position. There is utmost respect. Because ‘nuff man would have left it, not even done it… I have so much respect for you.”

Sounding emotional, she then adds: “I wish I could be that brave.”

She is also heard saying: “We are people of God… You’ve done things with a white woman. You should have been killed long time. Because that was illegal.

“But God is doing his own thing – and I rate our mixed-race babies… They thought that if they mated with you, what they would get would be an ape or a deformed somebody.”

“A lot of slaves were slaughtered,” she whispers. “A lot were slaughtered. But I hear Malcolm X’s speech, I have a dream, still being spoken now. We pray that we carry the baton. We carry that flame. For our time. That’s what we do.”

Mr Brown said he reported the incident to both the council and the Met Police, but no meaningful action was taken (Image: Michael Brown)

“Put the gun down”

“It was completely inappropriate,” said Mr Brown.

“None of this should be said to a parent walking into a council’s offices. I don’t want to hear about slavery. I’m not there for that. I’m there to talk about my son.”

But what happened next, he said, was even more shocking.

“She took off her shoes, loosened her clothes and got on her knees,” he alleged.

“She was coming over to me on her knees like she was trying to seduce me.

“She was whispering something about, ‘Put the gun down’. I was like, what f***ing gun? What is she talking about?

“Then she was grabbing my butt and sort of grinding on me. She sexually assaulted me.

“It was like the room started spinning. My mind was racing. I was thinking, ‘I’ve been set up’.”

Mr Brown said he secretly recorded the meeting on his phone, fearing he would be the subject of false allegations that he had behaved aggressively (Image: Charles Thomson)

“Danger”

On the recording, the officer does get audibly closer to the microphone and start whispering.

The microphone starts rustling, as if it is being moved around, but the following exchange is audible:

Officer: Mr Brown… [Giggles]

Mr Brown: No! No! Let me hit you with that.

Officer: You’re going to be in here for good.

Mr Brown: Shall I hit you with that?

Officer: Listen. Listen honey. Oh. Ohhh. [Giggles]. But…

Mr Brown: That’s my…

Officer: Put the gun down.

Mr Brown: Hold on.

Officer: Let them go to school. [Giggles]

Mr Brown: Hold on! Listen. That’s my lawyer. They’re coming in. They’re getting here right now.

“I was referring to my phone,” Mr Brown said of his recorded comments about hitting the officer with an object.

“I felt I was in danger. If she had run out of that room, half-undressed, and accused me of something – I’m done. It’s over. I would be on a rape charge from some decorated council officer. Good luck with that.”

The Metropolitan Police closed Mr Brown's case, saying it could not forensically test his audio recording without taking his phone. Mr Brown said victims should not be required to supply audio recordings in order for their cases to be fully investigated (Image: PA)

Police

Mr Brown went to the Metropolitan Police.

The force told the News Shopper it tried to obtain CCTV but found none covered the meeting room.

It confirmed officers listened to Mr Brown’s audio but claimed: “Due to the quality of the recording it needed to be further examined.

“The officers requested the recording so they could examine it forensically, however he declined to give access to the original, despite repeated requests.”

“They asked me to turn over my phone,” said Mr Brown. “I’m not giving the police my phone. I need it for work.”

He felt police focused unreasonably on the recording.

“You don’t need to have all of this that I brought in,” he said.

“How many victims have their assault captured on audio? Most, I would think, wouldn’t have that. That doesn’t mean the police shouldn’t investigate. They never even questioned the suspect.”

Police closed the case in June 2022.

Months later, Mr Brown was charged with supposedly harassing his son's school.

But when he attended court, the prosecution offered “no evidence” and he was cleared.

Michael Brown said he is fighting for justice for him and his son (Image: Michael Brown)

Bexley

Mr Brown said he had also given the recording to Bexley Council, which “did nothing”.

Bexley Council said it “would not be appropriate to respond in detail” to allegations which are subject to an ongoing legal action.

“The council can confirm that complaints raised by Mr Brown have been considered and responded to under the relevant procedures,” a spokesperson said.

“It is not however appropriate for the council to comment on matters related to its staff.”

The council added: “It appears from your transcript that the recording you have is longer than that previously provided by Mr Brown to the council.”

It urged Mr Brown to provide any additional evidence, which it would “carefully consider”.

Mr Brown insisted he already gave the council the same audio he has given the News Shopper.

"It's been an emotional whirlwind and I just want some justice for me, my son and the other kids," he said.

"Even if only half of what I'm saying was true, people shouldn't be able to get away with it and keep their jobs."