Dance teacher wins race case

Ripton Lindsay was banned from teaching in all Bristol schools after preventing unruly behaviour in his classroom. He was accused of using excessive force which he has always denied. He was subsequently cleared by Bristol magistrates who praised his exemplary manner. 

The head teacher, Ms Susan Eriksson, who was not present at the time of the incident told him “This is not how we do it in British schools”. Mr Lindsay is from Jamaica. The tribunal concluded that Ms Eriksson made a snap judgement that as a Caribbean man he was in the wrong. Mr Lindsay was severely upset by this remark and the failure of Bristol City Council to investigate the incident.

The tribunal concluded that the failure to investigate the head teacher’s remarks and how he came to be charged with assault after preventing fighting in the classroom amounted to race discrimination. No other satisfactory reason was given by the school or the council. The tribunal described this failure by Bristol City Council as “lamentable and wholly inadequate and frankly quite scandalous”.

The tribunal found that there was insufficient training in the school for dealing with such incidents and that there was abject failure on the part of the council’s officers.

Jibin Philip, from Avon & Bristol Law Centre who represented Mr Lindsay at the hearing last month said: “We are delighted that Mr Lindsay has been exonerated. No one should suffer like him. If you think you’ve experienced discrimination at work, don’t put up with it. Get advice from the Law Centre or a similar service.”

ENDS