Black teaching assistant wins discrimination case after being accused of having "angry face". Alan Lewis comments to People Management

An employment tribunal has ruled in favour of Sandra Moody, a black higher-level teaching assistant, who successfully proved race discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal after being accused of having an “angry face” and intimidating pupils at a Southwark primary school. The tribunal found that complaints about her tone and facial expression were vague, exaggerated and influenced by negative racial stereotypes, with similar behaviour by white colleagues not scrutinised in the same way.

Commenting on the case to People Management, Alan Lewis, partner at Constantine Law, said the ruling was significant because it exposed how seemingly neutral comments about facial expression can reflect racial bias.

Alan added that the ruling carries a clear message for employers and HR teams: “Unconscious racial bias is rarely obvious, but it can be present where complaints focus on demeanour, tone or facial expression.” Alan emphasised the importance of training HR managers to recognise bias and take this into consideration before taking disciplinary action.

Read the full piece and Alan's comments here.