By David Gold
August 3 – Former Barbados international Mark McCammon has won an employment tribunal case against Gillingham after his dismissal last year for alleged misconduct, claiming the club treated black players differently from their white counterparts.
The 33-year-old (pictured above and below) claimed that he, along with other black players at the League Two club, had been treated differently from the rest of the squad.
McCammon claimed he was forced to turn up at the club’s ground in difficult snowy driving conditions, while white players were told they did not have to.
Another grievance was over medical issues, with the player stating that the club only offered him National Health Service treatment when injured, in contrast to a white team mate who was flown to Dubai to regain fitness.
Gillingham, in response, said they had employed thousands of staff from different races and religions.
“Today we have received the decision of the Ashford employment tribunal, which sets out their findings that Mark McCammon was unfairly dismissed and that his dismissal was an act of racial victimisation,” the club said.
“We are hugely disappointed, in fact staggered, by this decision.
“As an organisation we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against, nor victimise our staff.
“This case is the first of its kind to be brought against the club in its entire history, a history that has seen the club employ many thousands of staff of various race, religion and creed, none of whom have ever felt the need to bring such a claim.
“Given the nature of the case, and the findings, we will discuss the judgment with our lawyers and decide upon the next course of action, whether that be an appeal against the findings, or another form of action, as deemed appropriate.”
McCammon’s solicitor, Sim Owolabi, said: “Mr McCammon is relieved that he has been afforded the opportunity to put forward the truth about the experience he suffered at the hands of his former employers.
“He is pleased that the employment tribunal has found in his favour and feels that the judgment makes clear that his dismissal was not only unfair but an act of race victimisation.
“Mr McCammon raised a legitimate complaint of race discrimination, which the tribunal found that [the Gillingham chairman, Paul Scally] had discounted from the start as being without merit.
“Mr Scally did not bother to investigate the complaint and ultimately dismissed him because of it.
“Mr McCammon is astounded that the club went to such lengths to both dismiss him and win their case before the tribunal.
“Mr McCammon hopes that his success will make other players feel free to raise legitimate complaints of discrimination and not suffer the traumatic treatment that he has for doing so.”
The ruling comes during a difficult year for race relations in English football, following a number of racism rows.
One dispute, between Luis Suárez (pictured above, right) and Patrice Evra (pictured above, centre), was seemingly settled earlier this year after Uruguayan Suárez was forced to sit out eight matches for allegedly using racist language towards the Manchester United player.
John Terry, the Chelsea captain, was stripped of the England captaincy earlier this year after being brought to court on charges of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers’ defender Anton Ferdinand.
Terry was found not guilty by a court this summer, but that ruling prompted a further row.
After the verdict, Ferdinand’s brother, Rio who plays for Manchester United, described Ashley Cole – Terry’s team mate who testified in court that he never heard Terry make a racist remark to Anton Ferdinand – as a “choc ice”, a slang term used for someone perceived as “black on the outside, but white inside”.
Both Rio Ferdinand and Terry have now been charged by the FA, with the Chelsea player admitting using racist language, but only as a sarcastic response rather than with malicious intent.
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