Disabled Scots janitor wins £10k in compensation after colleague called him a ‘f****** retard’
A DISABLED janitor has won almost £10,000 in compensation after a colleague branded him a “f****** retard”.
Conor Adamson, who has autism and ADHD, won a claim against The Student Housing Company Ltd after suffering degrading treatment and harassment, a tribunal ruled.
He was awarded £9,500 for his ordeal at the firm’s 422-dorm Brae House in Edinburgh.
Conor started working night shifts as a facilities assistant in March 2019, but suffered at the hands of ex general manager Courtney Riley and his friends, employment judges said.
In September 2019, Riley joined in “laughing and sniggering” after one of his friends branded Conor a “f****** retard”.
Employment judge Jim Young said the insult targeted Conor because of his disability.
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He said:“While it was not language used directly by Courtney Riley it was stated in his presence and he made no attempt to intervene with his friend(s) to desist from making that comment.
“Indeed the evidence was that his reaction was encouraging of such comment.
“Clearly the comment by friends of Courtney Riley and being laughed at on account of his disability would be very hurtful for the claimant.”
The tribunal also slammed apparent double standards after Conor was fired for swearing - despite it being “commonplace in the workplace” and Riley “using bad language as common currency”.
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After an appeal, the decision to fire Conor was overturned.
The judge said Conor’s dismissal was harassment and a dignity-violating “affront” directly related to his ADHD.
Rob Holland, acting director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said the case was “extremely concerning” and “highlights the harassment that sadly, many autistic people face on a daily basis.”
“No autistic employee should be abused or mistreated in this way, simply because they are autistic”, he added.
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Conor returned to work at the site until June 2021, according to his Linkedin, while Riley left the company around December 2019, the tribunal said.
Just over one in five autistic adults in the UK are in any kind of employment, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Mr Holland added: “This is a clear sign that training and acceptance are desperately needed for staff and managers in order for that number to increase.”
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A Student Housing Company spokesman said: “Due to privacy issues we are unable to comment on specific cases.
“As a business we pride ourselves on championing supportive teams that take diversity, equity and inclusion extremely seriously … discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.”
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