Talent and modelling agency Talent Management has just heard about mature male model Andrew Rogers’ fight with a local college – over not one, but two cases of nude modelling related ‘sexual discrimination’.

The 62-year-old life-model had worked at Weston college in Somerset for 25 years when, in July 2010, he was made redundant. Despite suffering from osteoporosis and Raynaud’s disease, Rogers felt that he was able to continue working and signed up with a modelling agency alongside a female model that he knew. Within weeks the female model gained work with Weston college, while nothing was offered to Mr Rogers.

By October Rogers had taken the college to an employment tribunal and received over £6,000 in compensation. According to a report in the Daily Mail, the panel stated at the time: “The college’s actions in failing to consider [Mr Rogers] for life modelling work because of his sex was distressing and has caused him considerable unhappiness.”

Following the tribunal Mr Rogers signed with another modelling agency and waited optimistically for news from the college where he had spent most of his working life as a nude model. Again he was disappointed. On discovering that the same female model had been offered further work though he had heard nothing, he made a second sexual discrimination claim – this time winning £5,000 in compensation.

He is quoted as saying: “When I won the first tribunal, I thought they would have learned their lesson, but no changes were put in place. I wanted to go back but they did not offer me any work. It has really and truly affected me.

“I have been offered some other modelling work but turned it down. I think Weston College has destroyed my modelling career. It has caused me a great deal of anxiety. I have won two tribunals on sexual discrimination, and I think that is very concerning. There is something very wrong there.”

The panel appeared to agree with this point of view: “There is no obvious explanation for continuing to fail to offer Mr Rogers that work. Mr Rogers clearly suffered significant distress, anger, humiliation and anxiety as a result of the college’s conduct, the more so since the college failed to address the previous finding.”

But a Weston college spokesman insisted: “The employment tribunal found that there were a number of legitimate reasons that would make it difficult for Mr Rogers to return to the college.”

There have been mixed reactions to Mr Rogers’ story. One Daily Mail reader said: “’No obvious explanation’ – who are these people, and what universe do they inhabit? Definitely sexual bias when you prefer to look at the naked body of a pretty young women rather than a grotty old man.”

Another argued: “This business of discrimination has become ridiculous. What happened to freedom of choice? The way things are going, we shall soon have our friends forced on us by law by virtue of their gender, colour, age and so on. For goodness sake, why shouldn’t a college decide that the model they use is female, rather than male? I notice the article gives no indication of the female model’s age, so we have no way of knowing whether she was younger than Mr Rogers as well as being female. Frankly it looks as though he is making a business of suing for his delicate feelings like a petty cry-baby, instead of taking the situation on the chin like a man.”

What do you think? Can a model ever be in their rights to complain about a clients decision that someone else is better suited to their assignment, or does a thick skin and the ability to cope with rejection simply come with the career choice of modelling?