City council accused of institutional racism

A black development worker, who won a racial discrimination case against an academy school, has claimed Bristol City Council is “racist” after learning it has employed the former principal of the school as an educational consultant.

David McLeod, 38, from Fishponds, won his case for racial discrimination against City Academy in Redfield in an employment tribunal in January.

He said he is shocked the council has hired Gill Kelly, who announced she was standing down as principal in June, and said the decision is “institutionally racist”.

“I’m saying it loud and I’m saying it proud and I’ll hold my heart on that…there is a problem in Bristol,” he said.

“She (Gill Kelly) needs to go and make a living – that’s OK, but look at what she has done…I went to court and I won. She was told her organisation is institutionally racist and her staff are racist.

“Bristol City Council have no place in giving her a position with them as an educational consultant to work with children who are disaffected. They have no place talking to her about anything along those lines.”

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “Gill Kelly is providing consultancy on a part-time, fixed-term basis to assist the council to develop a passport to employability (PEBL) recommended by the mayor’s education and skills commission earlier this year.  

‘Extensive experience’

“Her contract follows an invitation to all Bristol secondary headteachers to support this work. Ms Kelly expressed an interest in this work and was engaged following interview on the strength of her extensive experience in curriculum leadership.

“Contractors and consultants are required to adhere to requirements of the Equality Act 2010 in the same way as all direct council appointments, and the public sector equality duties to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between communities are highly relevant to this role.

“The council has a clear commitment to addressing disadvantage and inequality and the PEBL is part of a range of initiatives to support young people into rewarding and purposeful career paths.

“Ms Kelly’s consultancy role is for two days per week until July 2015.”

Passed over for promotion

Mr McLeod was working to boost ethnic minority students’ grades at the City Academy, but was overlooked for promotion in 2012.

An investigation found other black staff on the project were also passed over for promotion, while three white managers were appointed.

An employment tribunal found Mr McLeod received less favourable treatment because of his race.

‘Is there no one else?’

Mr McLeod said: “For me, taking her to court and her stepping down…for (Bristol City Council) to lift her back up again – they are saying racism doesn’t mean anything.”

“This job that she is doing, are you telling me there is nobody else..Is there no one else in Bristol who can do that role?”

Mr McLeod, who now campaigns against racial discrimination, said: “I speak to people now through my campaigning work and people say they want to get involved but they are scared to get involved.

“This is telling those people…you are never going to win. The system takes care of its own so don’t step forward, don’t say anything.

“Go back in your place, this is how it is – live with it.”

In a letter to the government’s integration and racial equality minister Stephen Williams MP (Bristol West) Mr McLeod questioned: “How and why such things could happen under your watch and in your constituency?”

Mr Williams has told Bristol24/7 that he will meet with Mr McLeod and fellow campaigner Paul Stephenson as soon as possible and has requested a meeting this Friday. A petition calling for racial discrimination to be stamped out in schools has been set up by Mr McLeod and civil rights activist Paul Stephenson. They are hoping to meet with the director of education for Bristol City Council Paul Jacobs on Thursday to discuss the situation and present the petition.

Bristol24/7 contacted Gill Kelly who said all questions about her employment should be directed to Bristol City Council.

‘We don’t want to work on the buses’

At a wider level Mr McLeod has called on the city council to address discrimination now: “We don’t want to talk about the bus boycott any more. We don’t want a job on the buses. We are the university generation now. For our grandparents that was OK. Stop talking about it like you’ve achieved something. Yes, Bristol did lead the way with the equalities act, but that was then and this is now.

“You have the university educated generation and we can’t get past the glass ceiling in Bristol. Let’s talk about what we can do to overcome that. Let’s restore some hope and push for the West Indian community.”

‘Marginalisation’

Marvin Rees, who ran as a Labour candidate for mayor in 2012, echoed this call: “Facing inequality in the city is one of the biggest challenges and it runs through the heart of Bristol,” he said.

He added that social inequality has been flagged up by the government’s social mobility tsar Alan Milburn. He released a report which looks at the dominance of private education in every sphere of British life.

Mr Rees said the report concludes that “wealthy people dominate society irrespective of the talent that they have”.

“People from a black background are disproportionately in the poorest classes, however that’s not to say white people are not from the poorest backgrounds as well,” he added.

“By definition these groups are disadvantaged from opportunities to fulfil their talents and parental background is the single most important factor in social mobility.

“Have a look around. Look at Bristol City Council – how many senior leaders are black? It’s the same in the NHS – a recent report found after band eight black managers disappear.

“You only have to look at these tables of power to see where black people are. There is no individual orchestrating this but the stories of discrimination are true, white marginalisation is true and so is this.”