Former Essendon CEO Andrew Thorburn has consulted with lawyers regarding his controversial exit from Tullamarine last month, with reports that the 57-year-old is preparing a lawsuit against the club.
Thorburn's tenure at Tullamarine came to an end after just a single day in office after he refused to stand aside from his role as Chairman of polarising church organisation, City on a Hill.
The organisation, described as "one movement of men and women gathered across nine churches, in five cities, united around the mission to know Jesus and make Jesus known", has been found to hold vehement anti-gay beliefs and preaches anti-abortion sermons.
Essendon's own Chairman, David Barham, contended in October that Thorburn had made his own decision to depart the role.
"This morning when the comments came out, I went and saw him and it became really clear that Andrew couldn‘t be chairman of that church with those views and CEO of the Essendon Football Club,” Barham said last month during an impromptu press conference.
“In the end, Andrew decided that he would stay with his church and he couldn't be CEO.”
Still, according to reports from both News Corp and The Age, Thorburn has consulted his legal team and is preparing to mount a case on the grounds of unfair dismissal and religious discrimination.
Said reports also state that the former chief of the National Australia Bank is seeking an apology from Bomber powerbrokers.
Thorburn had been in line to receive within the vicinity of $850,000 for his services to the Essendon Football Club during the 2023 season.
Essendon is still without a Chief Executive Officer as of the morning of November 5.
