18 December 2023 , 14:00
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A Rastafarian soldier has won a landmark racial discrimination case against the Ministry of Defence.
Dwight Pile-Gray saw his 16-year career in the British Army - in which he was one of the first ever Rastafarian guardsman - come to end after a white guard refused to believe he was a soldier. On challenging the guard, Mr Pile-Gray was accused of "playing the race card". He has now won his case at an employment tribunal.
The MoD says it does not tolerate abuse, bullying or discrimination of any kind. Mr Pile-Gray believes his case proves it is worse to accuse someone of being racist in the Army than it is to actually be racist. Mr Pile-Gray joined the Royal Corps of Army Music at the age of 37 in 2005 and was the first Rastafarian soldier to be allowed to wear his hair in dreadlocks. He played the French horn in multiple military bands before taking a role in the Band of the Grenadier Guards. He would tie up his hair to fit under his bearskin helmet.
Dwight won a landmark racial discrimination case (BBC)He told the BBC he was "under no illusion as to what I might encounter" in relation to signing up. He said there were always questions about his appearance from other guards: "Why are you allowed to wear your hair like that? Aren't you supposed to be a pacifist? Don't you smoke drugs?"
While putting many comments down to "ignorance", he suffered much more offensive comments, including the N-word and being asked about the size of his penis. Despite his treatment, Mr Pile-Gray continued to rise through the ranks - reaching lance sergeant - and loved his job.
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Then in July 2021 he has a row with two white soldiers at the guardroom at Wellington Barracks in central London. He had gone out to make a phone call and mistakenly left his ID card behind. He was wearing everyday clothing, including sunglasses, and had his locks on display. His said the white lance corporal on duty was "disbelieving" he was a soldier and stuck his head into the guardroom to ask "this gentleman thinks he's left his ID inside".
"I was absolutely treated differently because of my appearance," he said. "I've been doing this a long time and I understand when there is a racial element to an interaction." Mr Pile-Gray challenged the soldier, who was more junior than him, and was eventually allowed back inside when someone else recognised him.
He changed into his uniform and returned to the lance corporal to tell him he could have handled the situation better. He was then accused of "playing the race card" and a more senior soldier, a white sergeant, got involved. Mr Pile-Gray said the sergeant told him, "if I was going to make it into a race thing, then he wasn't interested". He says the sergeant then told him to "look at my office", pointing out that it was multicultural, before adding: "We can't be racist."
Mr Pile-Gray says he lost his temper and was thrown out of the guardroom. He was later asked if he wanted to make a complaint but instead suggested mediation before being told he was actually facing disciplinary action. He was given a formal charge of insubordination.
Mr Pile-Gray made a service complaint which was rejected before taking it to the employment tribunal - with his claims of direct race discrimination, racial harassment and victimisation successful. The hearing was held in June before the result was announced in October.