A SCHOOL in the borough is fighting allegations that senior management racially discriminated against a staff member.
Giving evidence at an employment tribunal in Watford, this morning school electrician Philip Dominique told the court that be believed he had been stopped from carrying out his full professional duties at Broomfield School in Wilmer Way, Arnos Grove, for three months as a result of “institutional racism which is systemic throughout the school”.
His grievance with senior staff at the school is that they would not have prevented him from carrying out his full duties if he had been white.
The court heard that on February 14 Mr Dominique was asked not to carry out his full duties as an electrician as the school had become aware that their insurance might not cover him to perform electrical repairs and renovations on the school buildings.
They told him they would have to ensure his qualifications were fully compliant with requirements of the insurance company.
He was retained on full pay and was asked by school management to focus on his general duties.
After all qualifications and certificates had been checked Mr Dominique was eventually asked to perform his full duties again on May 7.
Cross examining Mr Dominique on why he believed the delay was due to racial discrimination Gordon Menzies, counsel for Enfield Council, read out an email exchange between his line manager and council specialists in which his boss was pushing for a speedy resolution to the question.
“Why is she trying to chase this up to get it resolved sooner? She is trying to get you back on full duties as soon as possible,” Mr Menzies asked.
“You have made a very serious allegation of race discrimination what evidence do you have for that?” he added.
Mr Dominique insisted that in his witness statement which was not read out in court, but that was read in detail by tribunal judge Camilla Palmer, he had outlined ongoing instances of continued acts of racial discrimination in the course of the year.
Stressing that he was not listened to as he should have been within the school Mr Dominique insisted: “When the heating broke down, it was caused by a water leak, it took longer to repair because of asbestos as well as the boiler breaking down, all issues that I had brought to their attention.”
The tribunal is expected to end today Tuesday afternoon.
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