Racist graffiti costs firm €5,000

A COMPANY that manufacturers PCs has been ordered to pay €5,000 to a Nigerian national after racist graffiti was sprayed on a toilet wall.

IQon Technologies, based in Dundalk, Co Louth, was ordered to compensate former employee, identified only as Mr Ogobamidele, after the Equality Tribunal found the graffiti constituted harassment on race grounds.

Mr Ogobamidele complained to a supervisor on July 17, 2003, claiming a racial comment, “the black boy must go”, was written on the wall of the men’s toilet. After inspecting the cubicle, Mr Ogobamidele and the supervisor met with the managing director.

The complainant claimed he told the MD he suspected a specific colleague as the culprit. He said the MD apologised to him, telling Mr Ogobamidele he was not sure what to do.

The complainant returned to work and alleges that his colleagues chanted “we have won” on his return to the production area.

Mr Ogobamidele said he expected something to be done and when nothing happened he complained in writing. He said no action was taken and he resigned on August 19, 2003.

Mr Ogobamidele claimed that before the alleged incident of racial graffiti in the toilet, a photograph of him was copied on to a picture of a naked woman and placed on his workstation. He said he destroyed the photograph and did not report the matter, although he suspected a particular colleague of being responsible. He said this was harassment on religious grounds as he is a pastor in his Church and the entire incident was offensive and humiliating.

The company said the comment written on the toilet wall was “Blacks out” and furnished photographic evidence at the hearing. The company said Mr Ogobamidele never informed it at any stage about the alleged incident of his photograph being copied on to a picture of a naked woman.

The equality officer found in Mr Ogobamidele’s favour in relation to the grafitti and ordered the company to pay him €5,000.

However, claims by Mr Ogobamidele that he was subjected to racist jibes and that his car was damaged were not upheld.

The number of complaints of racial discrimination to the Equality Tribunal under employment equality laws rose by 43% for the first nine months of this year compared with the same period last year.

The director of the Equality Tribunal, Melanie Pine, yesterday announced that third-quarter figures for the tribunal showed a 38% rise in the number of cases of alleged discrimination referred to the tribunal in the first nine months of 2005.