Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Diversity officer held guilty of discrimination for assuming her colleague was ‘oppressed’ because of her race

The assumption amounted to stereotyping race: Tribunal

Diversity officer held guilty of discrimination for assuming her colleague was ‘oppressed’ because of her race

An employment tribunal has found a diversity officer of a broadcaster guilty of racism for her comment that assumed her colleague was “oppressed” because of her Latina heritage.

Rosemary Cook’s “blunt” assumption amounted to stereotyping her colleague’s race, although she did not mean to offend, the tribunal ruled.

It awarded £14,000 in damages to Jane Bradbury who worked as a field engineer at Sky In-Home Services.

Cook’s remark had left Bradbury “very upset” and made her self-conscious about her skin colour, the tribunal heard.

Bradbury, believed to have been based in Stockport in Greater Manchester, took several days off work because of her worries about being treated differently because of her race.

Bradbury who joined Sky as a customer advisor in 2010 moved to the company’s in-home services department eight years later. She qualified as a field engineer and later became an inclusion advocate with Cook.

Bradbury became upset following conservation with Cook who rang her to discuss a presentation on inclusion and diversity.

“It was not specifically about race discrimination but that featured as it was taking place against the relatively recent murder of George Floyd in the US, and the emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement,” the tribunal heard.

During the conservation, “Ms Cook said to Mrs Bradbury words to the effect that she would have suffered oppression because of her race, and the colour of her skin”, it heard.

Bradbury was removed as an inclusion advocate to protect her “emotional well-being”.

She was later sacked as she failed to self-isolate following her return from Spain during the pandemic.

In its ruling, the tribunal said, “Ms Cook appears to have assumed that, as Mrs Bradbury’s skin colour is not white, she must have suffered oppression, which is a form of stereotyping.”

The Telegraph reported that Bradbury lost claims of unfair dismissal as well as a claim of sex discrimination. But she won the race discrimination claim over Cook’s comments.

More For You

Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case
Bhim Kohli

Court to review teen's sentence in Bhim Kohli case

THE seven-year prison sentence handed to a 15-year-old boy convicted of the manslaughter of 80-year-old Bhim Sen Kohli is to be reviewed under the UK’s Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

The Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Friday (5) that the teenager’s sentence will now be considered by the Court of Appeal.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama attends a prayer meet held for his long life at the Dalai Lama temple in the northern hill town of Dharamshala, India, July 5, 2025. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

Dalai Lama hopes to live 'beyond 130 years'

THE Dalai Lama said on Saturday (5) he hopes to live until he is more than 130 years old, two decades longer than his previous prediction, following his assurance to followers that he would reincarnate as the spiritual head of the faith upon his death.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner was speaking during a ceremony organised by his followers to offer prayers for his long life, ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday (6), and as China insists it will choose his successor. The Dalai Lama told Reuters in December he might live to 110.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave by mid-July

Daytime temperatures meeting or exceeding set thresholds of 25°C

iStock

Met Office warns of potential third UK heatwave by mid-July

Key points

  • Met Office forecasts rising temperatures by mid-July
  • Possible third heatwave after record-breaking June
  • High pressure system likely to bring hot air from the Atlantic
  • Yellow rain warning and flood alerts issued in parts of Scotland and Cumbria

Possible heatwave to return by mid-July

The UK could experience its third heatwave in a month by mid-July, the Met Office has said. Forecasters expect rising heat and humidity during the second weekend of July, following two weekends of unusually warm weather in late June.

June was officially the hottest on record in England, and the return of high temperatures could mean another heatwave for parts of the country. However, the Met Office cautioned that it is too early to confirm how hot conditions will get.

Keep ReadingShow less
crypto

Two men have been jailed for defrauding investors of £1.5 million through a fake crypto investment scheme. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Two jailed over £1.5m crypto investment scam

TWO people who duped investors of £1.5 million by selling fake investments in crypto have been jailed for 12 years, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

Raymondip Bedi, of Bromley, and Patrick Mavanga, of Peckham, conned at least 65 people by cold-calling them between February 2017 and June 2019. They operated companies including CCX Capital and Astaria Group LLP.

Keep ReadingShow less
Manchester Police probes over 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects

Photo for representation. (iStock)

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Manchester Police probes over 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects

GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE is now investigating more than 1,000 child sexual abuse suspects, following years of public criticism and institutional failings in tackling child sexual exploitation.

A new report by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) has revealed the force has made “significant improvements” in dealing with group-based sexual abuse and related crimes.

Keep ReadingShow less