Tribunal | 'Numpty' comment at centre of Met Police race & disability discrimination claims

A Met Police officer who claimed he was discriminated against due to his race and disabilities had had his case rejected by an employment tribunal - despite raising allegations of racist remarks, victimisation, and being referred to as a 'numpty' by a colleague.

The case, brought by Mr S Kalar, involved a wide-ranging set of allegations, including victimisation, harassment, and whistleblowing detriment. While the tribunal acknowledged some workplace tensions, it ultimately ruled that the officer was not unlawfully discriminated against.

One of the claims at the heart of the tribunal was an allegation that Chief Inspector Davies had called Mr Kalar a "numpty" during a conversation on 15 July 2022. The tribunal accepted that the remark had been made but found that it was said in a "light-hearted manner" and did not amount to harassment.

“We do not consider that the term ‘numpty’ has any racial or disability connotations,” the tribunal stated. Judge Nicolle, overseeing the case, added that while Mr Kalar may have perceived the comment as disparaging, the comments were used in “a lighthearted manner, not one which was capable of constituting harassment when looked at objectively.”