Race Discrimination Claims In Sport

The Equality Act 2010 (“EqA”), the definition of ‘race’ is quite wide so it includes colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins. The EqA makes it unlawful for employees of any kind to be discriminated against due to their race. Claims are pursued in an Employment Tribunal. 

Unfortunately, racism and racial inequalities still exist in a range of different industry sectors, and new cases are brought to light every day. One particular industry that has become synonymous with racial discrimination recently is the sports industry and many professional sportspeople are making claims of discrimination against the people, clubs and organisations they have worked with in the past. 

Current cases of race discrimination in sport 

There are new allegations of racial discrimination, racial harassment, bullying and victimisation surfacing in the media at an alarming rate. There have been high profile cases within sports such as cricket and football and many are taking legal action against well-known clubs and associations. 

Mr Damian McCarthy of Nationwide Employment Lawyers has advised and acted for a number of cricketers, coaches and athletes currently in the news who have suffered race discrimination.

Recent high profile cases in the media include the following.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club has been accused of being institutionally racist by one of their former players, Azeem Rafiq. The club launched a formal investigation into Azeem Rafiq’s allegations and the report summary of the findings of the investigation said that he was the victim of racial harassment and bullying. Following this, Azeem Rafiq has said that cricket in general desperately needs reform and cultural change.

Since Azeem Rafiq first spoke out, two more cricketers; Majid Haq and Qasim Sheikh, alleged that they were treated differently by Cricket Scotland because of their skin colour too. Cricket Scotland is thoroughly investigating these allegations of racism and many are calling for an independent inquiry into the organisation.

Maurice Chambers, a former Essex cricket player, has also made claims that he was subjected to racist bullying for 10 years at the club. The England and Wales Cricket Board has vowed to investigate the matter alongside the other allegations made by another ex-player, Zoheb Sharif, who alleged he suffered racist abuse during his time playing for the club.

Cricket is not the only sport being accused of race discrimination and, as mentioned above, football is in the spotlight too. A new dossier compiled by match officials alleges that racism in the Football Association’s refereeing system is undermining efforts of black and Asian people to reach the highest leagues of the game. The report submitted also contains racist comments that were allegedly made and the FA is now facing calls for an urgent inquiry into the matter. 

The number of recent allegations is predicted to grow as more and more sportspeople speak out about their experiences. Whilst many are committed to fighting racism in sport, there is no denying that changes need to be made in the sports industry, and both time and effort need to be dedicated to improving equality, diversity and inclusion.

Getting tailored advice about race discrimination claims

Should you wish to speak to an employment law specialist about race discrimination claims in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact us here at Nationwide Employment Lawyers. We have an in-depth understanding of The EqA and with many years of experience behind us assisting clients with claims of direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation, you can trust that we are the best people to turn to for legal advice. 

Key legislation relating to discrimination at work can be difficult to understand, but our team of experts can answer any questions you may have, ensuring that you are aware of the legal protections available to you. When it comes to taking a race discrimination claim to the Employment Tribunal, we can support you from beginning to end too. You will have the same dedicated lawyer and advocate assigned to you throughout all legal proceedings, providing complete peace of mind. Our employment law specialists have a superb record in representing our clients too and we are very committed to winning our clients’ cases. Using our extensive experience, our knowledge of the law and our sound judgement, we will ensure you have the best possible prospect of succeeding.