Three white police officers have succeeded in a discrimination claim after an employment tribunal determined that they were bypassed for a promotion due to their race. The tribunal found that the officers, Detective Inspector Phillip Turner-Robson, Inspector Graham Horton, and Custody Inspector Kirsteen Bishop, faced disadvantage by being excluded from a promotional opportunity within Thames Valley Police.
The tribunal found that in an effort to diversify senior staff, a decision was made to promote an “Asian” sergeant to the rank of detective inspector, bypassing the standard competitive process. Superintendent Emma Baillie made the decision after being directed by Deputy Chief Constable Jason Hogg to “make it happen.” The move disregarded warnings regarding the legal implications of not following competitive procedures.
The tribunal heard that in August 2022, plans were in motion to advertise a position for detective inspector in the priority crime team at Aylesbury. DI Turner-Robson expressed interest in the vacancy on the same day. However, by the following month, the superintendent had placed Sergeant Sidhu, whose first name was not mentioned, into the role without any formal promotion process.
At the time of the appointment, Sergeant Sidhu had not yet been promoted to inspector status. Despite this, she was appointed as detective inspector after the decision-makers “jumped the gun,” according to the tribunal. The tribunal noted that the Superintendent’s actions were influenced by a directive to ensure the appointment quickly, which resulted in discrimination.
Employment Judge Robin Postle ruled the decision constituted direct discrimination against the three officers, emphasizing that their right to a fair promotion process was compromised. The judge stated that the actions taken were beyond mere encouragement and disproportionately favored an officer with the protected characteristic of race.
