The tribunal heard that during a dinner in 2018 at a senior partner’s house, the firm’s former Chief Executive used a racist phrase to refer to a “tricky aspect” of their London stock exchange update. While giving evidence, the former CEO apologised for her use of the word.
The complainant, who is of African-Caribbean hertitage, claimed that the hosting senior partner had laughed at the use of this phrase, which he denied and said that he had told her that it was inappropriate to use such language.
Another claim was made against the hosting senior partner of the London-listed legal services group, stating that he greeted a new partner with a fist-bump on their first day at the office.
According to The Telegraph, the new colleague mentioned that the way in which he was welcomed was different to other colleagues, who were white. The lawyer in question had also allegedly stopped to chat to the latter colleagues for longer.
The senior city lawyer told the tribunal that he didn’t recall the altercation, but that he frequently used a fist-bump to greet friends and colleagues, regardless of their ethnicity.
The judgement concluded that whilst the phrase was used, it was not with the purpose of “violating the claimant’s dignity or of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for him.”
It was also found that although the fist-bump greeting was a “misjudgement” and “insensitive” toward the new colleague, it did not reach the level required to be considered an unlawful act of race-related harassment.
