A Star Wars health and safety manager who was dismissed from a Disney series after referring to a colleague as 'the white man' has been awarded £234,112.66 in compensation by an employment tribunal.
Sadi Khan MBE, who served as head of health and safety on the show The Acolyte, was replaced by Jay Bond, a more experienced professional. Khan expressed discomfort, stating she felt it was unfair that a 'white man' was brought in above her, adding that she had 'had a few battles with white guys before'.
The tribunal found that while the decision to hire Bond was not racially motivated, Khan's dismissal after she made a complaint about discrimination was unlawful. Judge Andrew Gumbiti-Zimuto ruled that her comments did not constitute harassment under Disney's policy and that she was dismissed for making a protected act.
Khan, who received an MBE in 2018 for her work in cultural and religious awareness, had been promoted rapidly despite lacking full qualifications. Her initial weekly rate of £1,875 exceeded the typical top range for the role. However, the health and safety department was deemed underperforming, leading to Bond's hire.
During the dispute, Khan told colleagues: 'It was racist to bring Jay in' and referred to white people as 'you f***ing lot'. Bond complained about her 'highly offensive racial language', leading to her dismissal for gross misconduct.
The tribunal dismissed Khan's claims of direct discrimination and unequal pay but upheld her unfair dismissal and victimisation claims. She has not worked in the industry since her sacking.
