Janet Olufunke Damiro, a 71-year-old Nigerian grandmother, has been dismissed from her cleaning job at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) following an accusation of theft involving a misplaced bracelet.
According to Metro UK, which broke the story on Thursday, Damiro, who moved to the UK from Nigeria in 1971 and worked at LSE for 13 years, said she found a gold bracelet during her cleaning shift and absentmindedly placed it in her purse, intending to hand it in later.
She claimed she simply forgot about it, but returned the item three days later when questioned by management.
Despite her explanation and cooperation, she was suspended and ultimately 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 have treated me really badly. It was my only job, and I loved working there. I never expected to be suspended or dismissed.”
She maintained her innocence, saying, “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.”
Support for Damiro has poured in from colleagues at LSE, with more than 70 staff members, including three supervisors, writing a letter to the university management defending her character.
“Janet has always conducted herself with integrity and consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic,” the letter read.
Her trade union, United Voices of the World (UVW), has also taken up her case, appealing her dismissal and criticising the university’s handling of the incident.
“I don’t steal. I’m not a thief,” Damiro told UVW. “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 make a public statement, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
Meanwhile, LSE students have started a petition demanding Damiro’s reinstatement, calling her dismissal “deeply disturbing” and asserting that the incident was a “minor mistake” undeserving of such harsh consequences.
An appeal hearing initially scheduled for May 22 was postponed, with a new date expected later in June.
