A teacher at Brighton football club’s academy was unfairly sacked for gross misconduct after he was accused of using the n-word towards a colleague.
Simon Harper worked part time on Fridays as a teacher at the Brighton and Hove Albion academy between 2014 and 2022.
A Southampton employment tribunal heard that ‘the offensive word for what Mr Harper was dismissed is one which inevitably causes distress to people’.
The tribunal heard that in September 2022 Nathan Marshall – Mr Harper’s line manager – claimed that Mr Harper had greeted him that morning using the ‘n’ word.
Mr Harper denied using that term and apologised if that is what Mr Marshall thought he had said.
The tribunal was told that had Mr Harper used that term, it would have been out of character for him and there had been no similar incidents or concerns during his work there.
Mr Harper is also qualified as a social worker as well as a teacher and said there was no anti-racism education at the club’s academy until he initiated anti-racism workshops there.
Mr Marshall said he came into the education area and claimed Mr Harper said ‘good morning’ and heard a word ending in ‘ger’.
He said:”In shock, disbelief and from what I know of Simon Harper’s character I thought I misheard or was mistaken.”
He said Mr Harper went into his office a minute or so later and asked if he would like a cup of tea.
A scholar also said they thought he had heard something ending in ‘ger’ but at a meeting that same day Mr Marshall told Mr Harper he thought he had referred to him as a ‘n***er’ – which he wholeheartedly refuted.
Mr Harper was suspended before he was sacked.
But the tribunal ruled that the investigation process had not been as robust as it should have been and those ending someone’s career should be trained properly.
Mr Harper claimed he was unfairly dismissed and the tribunal ruled it was unfair.
The tribunal said neither Mr Marshall nor the scholar were sure that the offensive word had been used but did hear a word ending ‘ger’.
Mr Harper will now be compensated at a remedy hearing.
So he was fired for an unproven allegation. If it is one person’s word against another’s and there are no other supporting facts then surely the benefit of the doubt must be favored. It is up to the “prosecution” to prove beyond reasonable doubt surely – as of course these things can end up in court where that test may be applied.
What a waste of time and money. Virtue signalling must be the culprit, and once again it is the taxpayer and in this case the pupils that lose out due to the loss of a teacher and scant cash resources.
PC gone mad