Janet Olufunke Damiro, a 71-year-old Nigerian grandmother, has been terminated from her cleaning position at the London School of Economics (LSE) following accusations of stealing a bracelet.
According to a report by British tabloid Metro UK, Damiro, who relocated from Nigeria to the UK in 1971 and served LSE for 13 years, explained that she had found a gold bracelet during her cleaning duties and accidentally placed it in her purse, intending to return it later.
She handed the bracelet back three days after management raised concerns, but despite this, she was suspended and ultimately dismissed in April on grounds of gross misconduct.
Damiro expressed her distress, saying, “I cannot sleep. I have never had any disciplinary issues or needed to visit HR before in my life. LSE treated me very poorly. This was my only job, and I truly loved working there. I never imagined I would be suspended or fired. I did not steal. Whenever I find items, I always turn them in. This is the first time something like this has happened to me since I came to this country. It’s really troubling me.”
Support for Damiro has come from more than 70 colleagues, including three supervisors, who wrote to LSE’s management defending her character and professionalism.
Their letter stated, “Janet has always acted with integrity and consistently shown a strong work ethic.”
Her union, United Voices of the World (UVW), publicly challenged the university’s decision last month, criticizing how the case was handled and appealing the dismissal.
In a statement to UVW, Damiro said, “I don’t steal. I’m not a thief. I worked at LSE for over a decade without any issues. I simply forgot. At my age, it’s easy to forget. They treat me as if I’m a criminal. It’s unfair. I can’t sleep, and now I’m without a job but still have rent and bills to pay. Who will hire me at this stage of life?”
The London School of Economics has so far declined to comment publicly, citing the ongoing appeal process.
Meanwhile, students at LSE have launched a petition urging for Damiro’s reinstatement, calling her dismissal “deeply disturbing” for what they consider a minor oversight.
The appeal hearing initially set for May 22 was postponed, with a new date scheduled for later in June.
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