Howard Webb, chief refereeing officer for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has denied that female referee Lisa Benn was demoted after she claimed a male coach "manhandled" her. Benn, a Women's Super League (WSL) match official, alleges she was sidelined by the PGMOL, then headed by Webb and his wife Bibi Steinhaus-Webb, after making a complaint against a male coach.

The allegations stem from an incident in 2023 during a tournament intended to give WSL officials experience with VAR. Benn, 34, claims she was "physically manhandled and threatened" by Steve Child, a PGMOL coach and former Premier League assistant referee. Child, who officiated in over 300 Premier League matches before retiring in 2019, has denied any wrongdoing.

Following an investigation in 2023, the PGMOL found that Child's behavior did not meet the threshold for disciplinary action. Benn claims that despite assurances from Webb and Steinhaus-Webb that she would not be punished for making the complaint, her career suffered. She subsequently lost her position on FIFA's international officials list and the £20,000 annual salary paid by the PGMOL.

Benn's case centers around her not being nominated for one of the five FIFA slots available to English referees in the winter of 2023. She was ranked fifth among the top WSL officials at the time and had been nominated by the Football Association (FA) and accepted by FIFA in the two prior years. A FIFA place allows referees to officiate in international and UEFA competition fixtures. However, in December 2023, she was ranked sixth on the list submitted by the FA.

At an employment tribunal in Croydon, Benn's lawyer, Carla Fischer, suggested to Webb that Benn was ranked sixth because she made a second complaint about unwanted, threatening remarks made by a male PGMOL coach to a female referee. Webb denied this was the reason. He has denied that Benn was demoted for lodging a grievance.

Webb stated at the tribunal that he remembered a meeting in October 2023 where Benn discussed her issues with the PGMOL's investigation and raised concerns that officials feared raising grievances due to possible consequences. The meeting included Benn, Webb, and PGMOL's chief operating officer, Danielle Every.

Benn has filed for unfair dismissal, claiming compensation for direct discrimination, harassment, victimisation, unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal, and unlawful deduction of wages. The tribunal began on November 17. Webb is expected to give evidence on behalf of the PGMOL.

The PGMOL has categorically denied all of Benn's allegations.

Following the alleged incident with Child, Benn officiated in just four more WSL matches in the 2023/24 season before officiating a further 11 in 2024/25. She has not yet refereed in the WSL this season.