London Central Employment Tribunal has published more details of a case involving a black soldier who sued the Ministry of Defence for race discrimination and harassment.
Dwight Pile-Grey was one of the first Rastafarian men to become a guardsman and served for 16 years. His employment hearing was held in June and July 2023, and the tribunal service published the outcome of its judgment but nothing further in December 2023.
Pile-Grey was the first Rastafarian soldier allowed to wear his hair in locs, and joined the Army at 37. He had signed up in 2005 and was a musician with the Royal Corps of Army Music, and later took a role in the Band of the Grenadier Guards.
In an interview with BBC News last year, he said his career came to an end following a row in the guardroom with a white guard, who did not believe he was a soldier. He says he was then accused of “playing the race card”.
In July 2021, Pile-Grey had left his barracks in central London after a medical appointment to make a phone call, but had left his ID card behind. He was wearing civilian clothes and had his locs on display.
Army and racism
The lance-corporal on duty questioned whether he was a soldier, turning to the guard room to say: “This gentleman thinks he’s left his ID inside”. Pile-Grey challenged the soldier and was allowed back in after someone else recognised him.
He changed back into his uniform and returned in a bid to prove he was a soldier, but the conversation that ensued became heated. A sergeant then said to him: “If [you’re] going to make it into a race thing, then I’m not interested.”
He reported the incident to another office and was asked whether he wanted to make a complaint. Pile-Grey suggested mediation so he could explain to those involved why their behaviour was wrong. But ultimately he was told he would face disciplinary action instead.
He made a service complaint, which was rejected, after which he took his claim to an employment tribunal.
The tribunal ruled that claims of direct race discrimination, racial harassment and victimisation were successful.
Judge Gurparshad Singh said that the “race card” incident – implying that an ethnic minority colleague was accusing someone else of bigotry – amounted to an act of discrimination, and it would be “inconceivable” that a white person would face the same accusation.
He said: “It did not seem likely at all that a white person in the Claimant’s circumstances would have been accused of playing the race card. Further, the nature of the comment is irrefutably connected with race and as such, race must have been the reason for the treatment.”
He added that “it was clear that the senior personnel were less concerned with tackling racism and more concerned with upholding conduct standards”, and that they “wilfully ignored” the fact that any sort of discrimination was against the Army’s code of conduct.
In a statement given to the Times newspaper, a spokesperson for the MoD said that the Army did “not tolerate abuse, bullying and discrimination of any kind and all allegations are thoroughly investigated”. The Army has also improved its complaints and reporting mechanisms so personnel have access to support, the spokesperson added.
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