Remote hearing descends into farce as paralegal is muted, defies judge, and loses discrimination claim
A paralegal at the centre of a bizarre employment saga has had her case thrown out after repeatedly clashing with a judge during a remote hearing—at one point defiantly telling the court, “I’m giving you one more chance.”
Maria Pruzhanskaya, who previously made headlines for refusing to return a Dell laptop to law firm Maitland Walker LLP, stunned Employment Judge Victoria Wright during an online tribunal by interrupting, talking over the court, and refusing to cooperate.
The hearing, held via video call, descended into chaos as Pruzhanskaya, representing herself, grew increasingly disruptive. She had been pursuing legal action against Maitland Walker and recruitment agency Flex Legal for alleged race discrimination, sex discrimination, and whistleblowing.
Embed from Getty ImagesPruzhanskaya’s earlier defiance—when she refused to return her work-issued laptop and was threatened with contempt—had already tested judicial patience. But last week’s antics proved too much.
As tensions escalated during the session, Judge Wright was forced to mute the paralegal multiple times. After Pruzhanskaya challenged the judge’s decision to hold a remote hearing instead of appearing in court, she sneered, “Are you sitting in the comfort of your home?”
Matters worsened when the judge noticed someone off-camera was prompting Pruzhanskaya. When asked to identify the person, she refused and questioned the judge’s legal authority to demand such information.
The final straw came in a surreal exchange where Judge Wright warned, “I’ll give you one more chance—are you going to tell me your friend’s name?”
Pruzhanskaya replied coldly: “I’m giving you one more chance.”
Unamused, the judge silenced her mic once again and proceeded to strike out the claim, citing scandalous, unreasonable, and vexatious conduct. “She frequently talked over me this morning, was rude, and made demands she is not in a position to make. She seemed to think she could behave with impunity,” Judge Wright remarked.
Pruzhanskaya’s separate claims against Mishcon de Reya, which had acquired Flex Legal, were also dismissed. The judge found no identifiable claim or allegation against the firm.
The bizarre sequence echoes earlier hearings where Pruzhanskaya had similarly clashed with Competition Appeal Tribunal judge Marcus Smith over her refusal to comply with court directions.
Speaking to RollOnFriday, Pruzhanskaya maintained her grievances, accusing a Maitland Walker partner of orchestrating the proceedings against her. “I asked him if he was so busy for the whole year not to reply to me,” she said. “He said, ‘Yes.’”
Sources suggest Pruzhanskaya may still seek a judicial review of the Competition Appeal Tribunal order, and the employment judgment remains open to appeal. Judge Wright is reportedly requesting a statement of her assets as part of ongoing proceedings.
In a statement, Maitland Walker expressed relief: “It is unfortunate that these various matters have dragged on for so long, but we are pleased that the judge made the decision that she did.”
The legal profession, meanwhile, watches the spectacle unfold with a mix of disbelief and exasperation, as one of the most erratic employment cases in recent memory continues to spiral.