A former Corporal who fronted British Army recruitment campaigns has received an apology and a substantial financial settlement from the Ministry of Defence, after allegedly being subjected to racist and sexist abuse.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) provided funding and assistance to Kerry-Ann Knight, as part of its legal support scheme for race discrimination cases.
Ms Knight told an employment tribunal that she believed she had been repeatedly racially abused by colleagues. It is alleged that despite Ms Knight regularly raising complaints about the abuse she experienced to her superiors, no action was ever taken. She claims her experiences left her feeling that the Army was ‘institutionally racist’.
At the tribunal, she described how colleagues directed slurs about slavery towards her, including references to ‘lynching’ or ‘tarring and feathering’ her. She claimed that her colleagues praised Hitler and repeatedly targeted offensive racial language and stereotypes around her, such as shouting ‘watermelon’ when she walked into a room.
She also faced sexist abuse and harassment, such as being shown pictures of a colleague’s penis at a work event and being asked to comment on it.
Ms Knight had been an instructor at the Army Foundation College in Harrogate before the abuse forced her to resign. She was a representative of the Army’s Black and Minority Ethnic Network and featured on posters for a £1.5m military recruitment campaign.
The discrimination claim was taken to an employment tribunal, but the parties settled before a final judgment was made. The Ministry of Defence’s apology and financial settlement does not contain an admission of liability by the British Army.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has announced that tackling discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the armed forces is a strategic priority for 2024-25. The programme of work, which will also focus on police and fire services, aims to support change in these workplaces through guidance, training and enforcement action.
Baroness Kishwer Falkner, Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said:
“As one of the UK’s largest employers, and a public authority under the Equality Act, the British Army should be a standard-bearer when it comes to protecting their employees from discrimination.
“Former Cpl Knight dedicated more than a decade of her life to serving her country, and was an inspiration to young soldiers in her roles as an instructor and a diversity group representative. It is such a shame that the Army has lost a talent like hers.
“Many of the most recent recruits in the Army today will have joined after seeing Ms Knight’s face in a recruitment campaign. Like everyone else in the country, they have the legal right to be treated fairly regardless of who they are or what they look like.
“The British Army workplace is unique, but that doesn’t lessen its responsibility to follow equality law. Employers should take note that permitting discrimination such as that faced by Ms Knight is never acceptable, and this case demonstrates our commitment to tackling it head-on wherever we find it.
“I hope the settlement will allow Kerry-Ann to move on from this experience. As Britain’s equality watchdog, we will continue to use our unique powers to prevent discrimination in the workplace.”
Kerry-Ann Knight said:
“I have been absolutely devastated by my treatment by the British Army.
"I was so determined to make it work and help make the British Army a better place for women and black people, and so for everyone. But my experience eventually showed me that no matter what I did, I would never be accepted.
Emma Norton, solicitor for Kerry-Ann Knight, said:
“The way the Army conducted itself throughout its internal complaints process and throughout this litigation is nothing short of shameful.
“For the Army, it was not the racists that needed to be dealt with it, it was Kerry-Ann, because she’d had the audacity to complain about racism and misogyny.
“It is all dreadfully familiar and shows that, in the British Army, it’s worse to accuse someone of racism than it is to be racist.”
Major General SL Humphris MBE, on behalf of the British Army, said in an apology sent to Kerry-Ann Knight:
“As Director Personnel (Army) and a member of the Army Board, I sincerely apologise on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.
“The Army accepts that you had to work in an unacceptable organisational environment where you experienced racist and sexist harassment. There was a failure within the Army in not responding properly to that environment or your complaints about it.
“The Army wishes to apologise for the treatment you received. Your loss is a matter of regret.”
