The woman sacked by Cricket Australia over controversial tweets rejected an offer this week to return to the organisation and will fight her case before Fair Work Australia.
Fairfax Media can reveal CA chief executive James Sutherland intervened in the case in a bid to broker peace with Angela Williamson, who had been employed as a government relations manager with Tasmanian cricket before her dismissal over a series of tweets criticising the Tasmanian government's lack of abortion services.
Angela Williamson has rejected a new job offer from Cricket Australia.
Williamson is due to appear before the Fair Work Commission on Friday, arguing that she was unfairly sacked over a political opinion and this was in breach of the Fair Work Act.
Her sacking has been a public relations nightmare for CA, but the governing body insists her role was untenable because of what were claimed to have been disparaging comments.
Sutherland revealed on Friday that CA had offered Williamson a new role.
“We have reflected on Angela’s dismissal and been empathetic to her personal circumstances and the sensitivity of the underlying issues," he said.
“Over recent weeks, I have personally been involved in discussions with Angela about a return to CA in the role of communications manager – community cricket. She has informed CA that she will not be taking up the new opportunity and, whilst we are disappointed, we fully respect Angela’s decision.
“In our reflections we have also reaffirmed the necessity to administer social media policy while respecting people’s rights to publish personal views. The need to be bipartisan in our government engagement has also been acknowledged.
“While this is a difficult matter with many aspects and layers, it’s important that in our leadership of cricket in this country, we continue to be guided and influenced by our values. Our values focus heavily on demonstrating appropriate behaviours and showing respect to members and stakeholders of our diverse community all the time.”
The scandal had even prompted calls for Tasmania Police to investigate local health minister Michael Ferguson over allegations he had revealed Williamson's medical information to CA before she was sacked.
There were claims Ferguson had passed on details to Tasmania Cricket chief Nick Cummins about Williamson's own abortion when Cummins had rang to apologise for Williamson's tweets. Cummins was Williamson's boss. Ten days later, Williamson was sacked.
Williamson, a former staffer to Tasmanian premier Will Hodgman, had confided in him that she had had a termination and had been forced to head to Melbourne for the procedure.
The government has said Ferguson did not reveal any information that wasn't already on public record. Tasmania Police said on Thursday it would not investigate Ferguson.
The fall-out began when it is claimed a senior adviser to Hodgman took screenshots of Williamson's tweets on the weekend of June 17 criticising the government's abortion policy. These were sent to Cricket Tasmania in a bid to have her reprimanded.
High-profile women's employment agency Work180 has suspended CA's membership while the case continues.
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