Janet Olufunke Damiro, a 71-year-old Nigerian grandmother, was fired from her position as a cleaner at the London School of Economics (LSE) following allegations that she had stolen a bracelet.
According to an exclusive report by British tabloid Metro UK on Thursday, Damiro, who has lived in the UK since 1971 and worked at LSE for 13 years, said she had simply forgotten the gold bracelet in her purse after finding it during her shift and intending to hand it in later.
She returned the bracelet three days later when questioned by management but was still suspended and eventually dismissed in April for gross misconduct.
“I can’t sleep. I have never had a bad record or been to HR before in my life,” Damiro said.
“LSE has treated me really badly. It was my only job, and I loved working there. I never expected to be suspended or dismissed.
“I did not steal this thing. If I see any items, I always hand them over.
“This is the first time in my life I have had a problem like this since I came to this country. It is really bugging me.”
Metro reports that over 70 of her colleagues, including three supervisors, signed a letter to LSE management defending her character.
“Janet has always conducted herself with integrity and consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic,” the letter stated.
Her trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW), has appealed the dismissal and criticised the university’s handling of the case.
Speaking with UVW, Damiro said, “I don’t steal. I’m not a thief. I’ve worked at LSE for over 10 years without any problems. I just forgot. At my age, you can forget like that.
“They look at me like I’m a thief. It’s unfair. I’ve not been myself at all, I don’t sleep at night. I don’t have a job now, but I have to pay my rent and bills. Who’s going to employ me at this age?”
The university has declined to comment publicly, citing the ongoing nature of the case, according to Metro.
Meanwhile, LSE students have launched a petition demanding her reinstatement, describing her dismissal as “deeply disturbing” and characterising the incident as a “minor mistake”.
An appeal hearing initially set for May 22 was postponed, with a new date scheduled for later in June.
