Friday, December 20, 2013

Councillor to Have Diversity Training after Golliwog Remarks

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A panel has ruled that a councillor who made comments about golliwogs not being racist should have diversity training, as they said her remarks brought the council into disrepute

A Conservative councillor is to undergo diversity training after she claimed that golliwogs are "nostalgic, not racist".

Dawn Barnett was found guilty of bringing Brighton and Hove City Council into disrepute with her remarks.

At a closed hearing, a panel of three councillors said the 72-year-old should have diversity training.

She was cleared of failing to treat others with respect and breaching the Equalities Act and the panel also recommended all councillors should have diversity training in future.

In August, Cllr Barnett said she thought golliwogs were "nostalgic, not racist".

She also dismissed complaints against a homestore in Brighton selling golliwog placemats as "political correctness gone too far".

Four complaints from three people were made to the council’s Black and Minority Ethnic Workers’ Forum in response to her comments. » | Claire Carter, and agencies | Friday, December 20, 2013