A gay-friendly British real estate agency sacked and sexually discriminated against a lesbian employee after she told them she was pregnant, an employment tribunal ruled Friday.

The panel said Corinna Slow was unfairly dismissed and sexually discriminated against when she was dismissed from 2Let, which bills itself as Britain’s first estate agency owned and run by gays and lesbians.

The 27-year-old, who lives with her bus driver girlfriend in Brighton, on the English south coast, had managed the firm’s lettings office in nearby Hove.

She was awarded £13,000 (euro19,136, US$24,340) in damages.

“Taking all the evidence into account, we are satisfied beyond all reasonable doubt that the reason for the dismissal was pregnancy,” said panel chairman Charles Twiss.

“We are quite satisfied that (company boss Kevin) Newman knew the claimant was pregnant… He had to get rid of the claimant to avoid keeping her on and paying maternity pay.”

Newman had claimed he fired Slow, who had artificial insemination treatment to become pregnant, because of her poor performance.

Her child, Edith, is now three months old.