Lucas G., 33, a former gardener at the Élysée Palace, France was fired for protesting against poor working conditions.
He claims he was fired for speaking out about his working conditions in a video posted on social media.
In the video, Lucas G. presented the premises made available to him at La Lanterne. A cramped and dilapidated space, “unsanitary,” in his words.
“When I started to raise the alarm, I was told that I was wrong to complain, that there were other priorities,” Lucas explained in the comments to his video.
Lucas G., 33, worked for several years at La Lanterne, a former hunting lodge located in Versailles, now used as the state residence of the Republic, before being assigned to the presidential palace of the Élysée, in the heart of Paris.
After the video was published, Lucas G. was forced to leave Paris and return to Villeurbanne, where he is originally from. Believing he was the victim of abuse of power, the young man took his case to the administrative court in the hope of winning his case.
Reaction from The Élysée
“Mr. Lucas G. held the position of gardener in the gardens department of the Presidency of the Republic between April 1, 2022 and March 16, 2025, the end date of his secondment. The gardens department, composed of an average staff of six agents since 2017, operates on all the sites of the Presidency (Hôtel d’Evreux, Hôtel de Marigny, 2 rue de l’Élysée, Palais de l’Alma, Résidence de la Lanterne) according to needs and schedules.”
“During this period, Lucas G. reported situations of harassment to his superiors and the human resources department, which led to an investigation. The findings of the investigation revealed a disagreement between colleagues that could not be characterized as harassment. During his secondment to the Presidency of the Republic, Mr. G. was received and accompanied by the competent services as soon as he requested it and received sustained and caring support up to the highest level of the administrative hierarchy, which demonstrates the attention paid to his particular feelings and to our agents in general,” the press release states before continuing, “the Presidency of the Republic employs 820 people, and makes it a point of honor to promote the work carried out by all of its agents (Heritage Days, Maison Élysée, participation in the publication of works on the subject, etc.) who, through their excellence, fully contribute to the institution’s influence.”
“We cannot therefore speak of the couple’s gardener, but of an employee within the presidential gardens department. The photos and videos are of a room made available to staff, which they can use. In addition, a changing room with showers and toilets is provided for staff use.”