Harassment | Boots pharmacist at tribunal claims they couldn't be racist as they 'have black friends'

A Boots pharmacist who was stereotyped as an ‘aggressive black man’ by a colleague has won a racial discrimination tribunal despite his coworker’s defence that she couldn’t discriminate against him because she has black friends.

Samson Famojuro, who is of black Nigerian descent, was working as a relief pharmacist for the health and beauty retailer, when two junior colleagues made him subject to “open subordination” and “highly personalised abuse”.

As a result, he claims he was stereotyped as an “aggressive black man” and experienced harassment that left him “shaken” and “fearing for his safety,” the tribunal heard.

Famojuro was assigned to work at the Silva Island Bay branch in Wickford in July 2020 as cover for an absent main pharmacist, and was placed in the role senior to Emma Walker, a pharmacy technician, and Nicole Daley, a pharmacy assistant – both white women.