Vinegar Discrimination Claim Dismissed as Tribunal Rejects Porter's Allegations
An employment tribunal has thrown out a series of bizarre race discrimination claims brought by a kitchen porter against an award-winning pub, including an allegation that colleagues placed vinegar near him as a racial slur because it rhymes with the n-word.
Unprofessional Behaviour Leads to Dismissal
Willer Lafeuillee, who is of Caribbean heritage, worked at The Running Horses in Dorking, Surrey, for just six weeks in early 2024 before being dismissed for what the pub described as 'unprofessional and confrontational' behaviour. Following his sacking, Mr Lafeuillee launched a race discrimination case against the establishment, which was named the best pub in the UK in 2023.
In a peculiar central claim, he asserted that staff deliberately positioned bottles of vinegar close to him to 'send a message' about his skin colour, arguing that the word 'vinegar' sounds similar to the n-word. The tribunal, however, found this allegation so vague that it was immediately dismissed from the list of incidents under consideration.
Steak Incident and Musical Allegations
Mr Lafeuillee further contended that being served an overdone steak constituted discrimination against him. The tribunal heard that he had visited the restaurant one evening to use his staff discount, ordering a T-bone steak and a bottle of wine. According to evidence, the pub's ordering system meant the chef had no knowledge of who had placed the meal request.
The tribunal detailed: 'Mr Lafeuillee asked for a well done steak. When the waiter brought it to him, he became angry because it was not cooked enough, raising his voice and causing discomfort among other customers. After the steak was returned to the kitchen for further cooking, he complained it was burned to a crisp, took photographs, and eventually ordered a sirloin steak, which he then claimed was undercooked.'
During this episode, Mr Lafeuillee entered the kitchen, clapped or clicked his fingers at staff, shouted across the floor in front of guests, and declared loudly that he would not pay for the meal. He received a verbal warning the following day regarding his conduct.
Additional claims included allegations of discrimination because staff played the song Gold Digger by Kanye West and music by rapper Biggie Smalls, both of which contain the n-word. Mr Lafeuillee also made vague assertions about harassment linked to being served a drink in a London Pride glass and a co-worker saying 'yabba dabba doo' from The Flintstones in his direction.
Tribunal's Conclusion and Restraint Shown
After another incident where Mr Lafeuillee acted aggressively, leading to his dismissal, his employers stated he was behaving 'erratically and aggressively, to the extent that he was a danger to other members of staff'. Dismissing all claims, Employment Judge Fowell remarked: 'We bear in mind that this was a diverse workforce and that Mr Lafeuillee was treated with considerable restraint and consideration for most of his time at the company, such as in connection with the steak incident.'
The judge concluded that the allegations 'are largely the result of misinterpretation or have an innocent explanation', effectively ending the legal challenge against the renowned Surrey pub.
