Not Today, Race Grifter, Not Today...

Calling someone a 'dark horse' is not racist, an employment judge has ruled...

...after a black worker tried to sue her employer when her boss used the phrase.

Her employer? Would you believe, the Citizen's Advice Bureau!

Thankfully, not in a position where she was giving any, we must hope...

Ms Mangwanya, a support assistant at the organisation who was based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, complained at work that her manager used the phrase 'dark horse' in front of her, but she had 'misunderstood' what the expression meant when she took offence to it. Ms Mangwanya brought a 'litany of allegations' against Citizens Advice to the tribunal after she lost her job. However, her claims - including the 'dark horse' allegation - were thrown out.

It's the latest in a long long line of chancers and race grifters who roll the dice at these things... 

The Leeds Employment Tribunal heard Ms Mangwanya was employed by Citizens Advice in September 2019 on a one-year fixed term contract in its scams department, helping vulnerable people at risk of online scams.

Well, when you want a gamekeeper, I suppose it makes sense to select from a known pool of poachers! But it rather backfired, this time. 

Ms Mangwanya's contract was not extended in September 2020 due to a lack of work and she was let go.

A lack of work for her, or from her, Reader..? 

At the tribunal, Ms Mangwanya insisted Citizens Advice was a 'racist organisation' and made dozens of racism allegations.She had made claims such as claiming it was racist to ask her if she was telling 'porky pies', that she was subjected to a 'witch hunt', complained about her workload, and insisted her role was created so 'black and ethnic minority employees could be employed on a lower salary'.

And even the patience of the Tribunal has its limits: 

Judge Shepherd concluded: 'Her case was very difficult to follow. The evidence she gave was often incoherent.

'She failed to answer questions put to her in cross-examination on numerous occasions and resorted to taking an exceptional length of time finding documents which did not assist her and she then tended to mutter and state that [Citizens Advice] is a racist organisation.

'Her approach was to attack Citizens Advice and its witnesses but not to go through the issues or put the allegations in any clear form.

'This has been an extraordinarily lengthy and wearing case for all those involved.

'The Tribunal has sympathy for everyone in the case, particularly those employees who have been subject to unfounded serious allegations of discrimination. Ms Mangwanya provided a litany of allegations.

'It is clear that she views every difficulty, or perceived difficulty, she faced during her employment through the lens of discrimination whether race, disability or religion or belief.'

Gosh. I wonder who instilled that belief into her?