British park ranger fired over 'racist joke' wins £40k compensation after tribunal tells council 'skin colour is a fact of life'

We read:

"A park ranger sacked for asking a black colleague if he 'put polish' on his legs has won £40,000 compensation after a judge ruled that skin colour is a 'fact of life'. Michael Farmer said he was branded racist and even falsely accused of being a member of the British National Party after making the comment.

Lambeth Council sacked him under its 'zero tolerance' policy on racism after two disciplinary hearings.

But employment judge Lindsay Hall-Smith has ruled that he was unfairly dismissed, saying: 'An individual's race or colour is a fact of life. It does not follow that alluding to such matters to or in the presence of the individual concerned necessarily involves racism or less favourable treatment of the individual.' ...

Mr Farmer, who has previously set up a black youth community football team, said the idea he was racist 'was the antithesis of what I stand for'.

A Lambeth Council spokesman said: 'We have a responsibility to take grievances from our staff seriously and investigate them rigorously, but we accept the ruling of the tribunal.'

Source

More taxpayer money down the drain