Mr C Wint v Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council — 2025

The claimant complained that a workplace comment about a voodoo doll with pins, and a manager's failure to intervene, amounted to harassment related to race and religion or belief. The tribunal found that the comment made was not the comment alleged by the claimant, but a generalised comment by Miss Shone about her own exhaustion after covering the claimant's shift.

The tribunal accepted that the claimant is a practising Christian and that Voodoo was contrary to his beliefs. It also considered that Voodoo can be a sensitive subject and that referring to it in the workplace was perhaps ill advised, but concluded the comment was an isolated, poorly judged throwaway comment that was not directed at the claimant.

The tribunal found the conduct did not have the purpose or effect of violating the claimant's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. The harassment complaints related to race and religion or belief were dismissed, so no remedy was awarded.