02 September 2023 , 17:59
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A dad and daughter have received compensation after a Conservative club refused to let them host a christening party because they were Irish Travellers.
The furious dad brought a claim against Park Conservative Club in Cardiff, Wales, for race discrimination and harassment after they told him they no longer hosted Irish Traveller’s events. He had enquired about holding his young daughter's christening party in a function room at the Roath Club in March last year.
But on a call to a member of staff, he was told they could not take his business. A spokeswoman for the club told WalesOnline: "The person [who made the decision] has now left the business. We totally hold our hands up and have paid and obviously, we are now trying to do damage control. It's the embarrassment, I suppose because we have always dealt with the community."
Legal firm Leigh Day, which represented the family, said the dad recorded the conversation where a club worker told him the ban was due to problems at previous events. The firm's spokesman said: "A number of offensive comments about the behaviour of Irish Travellers were made.
“After he protested that it was unfair to ban a whole ethnicity because of the actions of others the staff member suggested setting up a meeting for him to meet the club secretary to discuss the matter. The father agreed to this but heard nothing further from the club."
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The family then took legal action on the grounds of race discrimination. Leigh Day also said they took action on the grounds of harassment against the father as a result of the staff member's offensive comments about Travellers while he was attempting to make the booking.
The Conservative Club was ordered to pay compensation (WALES NEWS SERVICE)The settlement was reached with no admission of liability on the part of the club. As part of the settlement three members of staff, a club official, and a member of the club board have received cultural awareness training regarding the Gypsy and Irish Traveller communities."
The dad, who wishes to be anonymous, said: "To be told we were banned from booking this venue to celebrate my daughter's christening just because we are Irish Travellers was deeply upsetting for our family. It's not right that people like me are treated so unfairly, often on a daily basis. I hope by bringing this case we can help bring this type of discrimination to an end so our community can enjoy the same rights as everyone else."
The club spokesman told WalesOnline: "We have many Gypsy and Traveller parties on a regular basis and continue to do so. It was very unfortunate, the one sentence that was a racist remark. It was just after Covid restrictions were in place, and because one lady from the Traveller community wasn't happy with the conditions of wearing face masks [a person involved in the club] said: 'That's it - no more Traveller parties', which was wrong.
“But like I said we have many and I can get people to vouch for us in the Traveller community that we have a good reputation with them."
Leigh Day said the venue had told the dad the ban was the result of a board vote. When put to the club its spokesman said: "To be honest I'm not going to comment on that because I'm not sure. All the board has been changed. We're now trying to get over that hurdle of what was left."
Kate Egerton, a solicitor for Leigh Day, said: "Unfortunately many Irish Travellers continue to encounter persistent race discrimination. Staff at Park Conservative Club openly admitted it had banned Irish Travellers from holding events at the venue.
“Their actions displayed both commonly held prejudice and negative stereotypes, which are unfair and discriminatory. As well as paying compensation to our clients it is right that staff and officials at the club have undergone cultural awareness training to ensure this type of discrimination is not repeated in future."
The family was supported by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Chairman Kishwer Falkner said: "No one should be discriminated against because of who they are and members of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities can often face harassment and discrimination due to negative stereotypes and deeply ingrained prejudices.
“We supported this case through our landmark fund for race discrimination cases, which was launched to tackle race discrimination and help victims seek justice. As Britain's equality regulator, we are committed to taking action and using our legal powers to ensure no one experiences discrimination. I hope those who have received training as part of this settlement are able to learn from this incident and ensure people from all communities are treated equally and with the respect they deserve in the future."
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