May 6, 2022 12.00 pm This story is over 22 months old

Jamaican sergeant sues MoD amid claims of racism at Lincolnshire training regiment

He claims colleagues called him the N-word among other slurs
Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Grantham. Photo: Google Street View
By Local Democracy Reporter

A British Army sergeant born in Jamaica has filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Defence over racism allegations, as he claims colleagues racially abused him for more than a decade by using the N-word and other discriminatory terms.

As reported by the Daily Mail, a preliminary hearing at an Exeter employment tribunal heard that Sergeant Floyd Campbell, who joined the army after moving to the UK from Jamaica in 2010, accuses senior officers and colleagues of sustained racism over the course of 11 years.

He says his claims were either ignored or brushed away, as he reported colleagues called him the N-word among other slurs, including the term ‘Umbongo’ – a racially motivated reference to the popular juice drink.

Sgt Campbell was posted to Army Training Regiment (ATC) Grantham after being promoted to corporal in 2016, five years after he began basic training with the British Army.

An investigation into an initial complaint of being called the N-word found the word was used ‘mistakenly’, but did say the work culture at the ATC required improvement to prevent discrimination.

He would later be transferred to the Royal Logistics Corps 27 Regiment based in Aldershot, and then the 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers. He is now a Logistics Supply Specialist in the Royal Logistic Corps.

Campbell said his mental health suffered as a result of the alleged abuse, citing bouts of depression and a mental breakdown as a direct impact.

He was taken off a training course for 24 Commando Regiment Royal Engineers, a role he was promoted and assigned to in October 2019, after reporting yet more racist abuse, this time from Royal Marines.

The hearing stated that though some of the allegations are up to six years old and therefore out of date, the case can still be heard as Sgt Campbell was unaware he could pursue his claims beyond the military until April 2020 – on the advice of a colleague who told him the legal processes.

A full hearing of Sgt Campbell’s case is expected in due course, and if successful he could be due a large compensation fee.