Mr Cutmore-Scott, the company’s managing director, told the court Ms Sylvester’s complaint was dealt with “promptly and correctly” and the man was given a warning and left the hotel’s employment after the incident.

This decision was rejected by the committee after finding that no investigation had been carried out and that the author had not been punished.

The court also heard that a reception manager told Ms Sylvester: “I don’t see why you’re so upset, you’re not dark enough to be offended.” »

When that manager left the company the following year, it was said that Ms. Sylvester was passed over for her position, which was then filled by a white employee.

Defending his staffing decision, Mr. Cutmore-Scott said there were problems with his performance. He told the court: “(She) presented a management challenge, she was unstable and required constant emotional support, she had complicated romantic relationships with team members, custody of her children had a impacting her ability to do her job, her mental health made her difficult to count on. on.

“She was erratic and unpredictable…she suffered from paranoid delusional disorder.”

“It’s the one word that, as everyone knows, will wreak havoc.”

Mark Graham, the employment judge, ruled that the failure to promote Ms Sylvester to reception manager was discriminatory.

“The description of (Miss Sylvester’s) performance as provided by Mr Cutmore-Scott amounts to an attempted defamation,” he said. “Not only were these descriptions false…but they seemed incredibly hostile.”

Mr Cutmore-Scott later withdrew his comment about “paranoid delusion”.

During his employment at the hotel, repeated complaints were made against John Holmes, the hotel manager, for incidents of racist remarks.

It is understood that in July 2022, after hotel guests were caught using drugs, Mr Holmes told Ms Sylvester that “all black people” were drug users. Questioned by Ms Sylvester, he said: “I really don’t know what they’re supposed to be called these days. »

The following year, Mr. Holmes was heard uttering the phrase “n—– in the woodpile” to Ms. Sylvester. This remark caused him to have a panic attack and hyperventilate.

“I have to be clear that I didn’t know what that phrase meant at the time,” she said. “However, I always understood that this word is an extremely offensive insult, which almost no one uses these days due to its offensive nature.

“That’s the one word I expected everyone to know you can use and it’s going to wreak havoc.” No person in their right mind would use that single word against the only black person in the building unless they specifically wanted to offend.

Mr. Holmes denied making the remark, but again management failed to investigate his complaint. The court rejected Mr Holmes’ version of events, concluding that he made the remark with full knowledge that it would offend.

Judge Graham concluded: “The explanation provided by (Notley Abbey Ltd) was unreliable and inconsistent… it failed to convince us that (his) race played no role in the treatment complained of.”

“We found that (Ms. Sylvester) had been subjected to repeated acts of racially-related harassment and, although she complained to various officials at the time, no meaningful action was taken to deal with these complaints or to protect against such acts.

“While the (hotel’s) policy included equality and diversity training for managers, no one attempted to implement it. Mr Cutmore-Scott assumed that if he or his family were there, that was enough. Obviously, this was not the case.

Ms Sylvester’s remuneration will be decided at a later date.