Victoria von Wachter successfully defends Total Gas & Power against a claim of race discrimination following Ice-T dispute

Victoria von Wachter successfully defended a case of  alleged racial harassment and victimisation by a mixed race  employee who was sent a picture of  the rapper and actor Ice-T by a white colleague on grounds that there were strong similarities of appearance between the employee and  the film  star. The picture was of the  star holding a gun and looking very stern. The employee alleged that this  was  a  racial slur, stereotyping  all black men as gangsters although he admitted  at trial that Ice-T was not a  gangster. 

The colleague claimed that he had intended to show a similarity of appearance between Mr Chittick and  the star. The Tribunal was  asked whether this constituted racial harassment and  was  asked to  consider this  question addressing s26(4) Equality Act 2010 requiring  the  court to take  into account  all the  circumstances of the case. The  court was asked  to  view  the alleged  harassment  through the lens  of  the Claimant calling his  colleague a ‘snake’ ‘Voldemort’ and other offensive slurs. 

Victoria successfully defended all the heads of claim. 

The Claimant recently featured in the tabloids regarding the case. Read the article here.

Victoria specialises in employment law advising a wide range of clients with notable experience acting for the police in disciplinary matters. Victoria’s main areas of practice are employment and discrimination law. Click here to view her full profile.