Ms E Panama v Lifeways Community Care Limited — 2025

The claimant, a black Nigerian probationary support worker, alleged direct race discrimination and harassment related to race arising from events on 23 December 2024, the respondent's handling of statements from another worker, and her dismissal on 7 February 2025. The tribunal found that some alleged conduct by Carol Shea did not occur: she did not say she did not speak to "the likes of me", did not shout and swear at the claimant, did not forcibly remove her from a taxi, and did not say she would make sure the claimant never worked at the residence again.

The tribunal found that Carol Shea did instruct the claimant to take a service user by bus rather than taxi, and did say words to the effect that if it were up to her none of the claimant and another worker would work at the residence again. It found no facts from which it could reasonably infer that those matters were because of, or related to, race. It accepted the respondent's explanation that the instruction and comment related to the service user's interests and the refusal to take the service user by bus.

The tribunal also found that Grace Wright had not received a statement from Mary Fasoyin and had repeatedly tried to obtain one. It found no facts from which it could reasonably infer that the dismissal was because of or related to race, and accepted that the dismissal related to Grace Wright's genuine belief in misconduct following a reasonable investigation commensurate with the claimant's probationary status. The complaints of race discrimination were dismissed.