Calling someone a Karen is 'borderline racist, sexist and ageist'

Yahoo

4 hours ago

Calling someone a 'Karen' could be 'borderline racist, sexist and ageist', a tribunal has ruled.
An employment tribunal judge has deemed the term which is generally targeted at middle-aged white women to be "pejorative".
This ruling came about after the slang term was used in a tribunal taking place at Watford Employment Tribunal.
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Sylvia Constance, 74, brought claims forward of unfair dismissal, direct race and age discrimination and victimisation at Watford Employment Tribunal against Harpenden Mencap, a charity which provides support to adults with learning disabilities.
Ms Constance, who the tribunal heard is black British, said that she had been targeted because of her race after she had been dismissed from her role on June 13 2023 because of an 'irrevocable breakdown in the relationship' with Mencap.
The dismissal came after bosses had previously suspended Ms Constance over claims of "emotional/psychological abuse of a tenant in your care" and "bullying and intimidation of colleagues", the tribunal heard.
The use of the slang term 'Karen' arose when Christine Yates, who represented Ms Constance at the tribunal, used the term in a document.
The document read: "The respondents have acted like the stereotypical 'Karen' having weaponised their privilege and more powerful position against the complainant, making up and suspending the complainant for numerous fictitious infringements, and deflecting from their personal misconduct.
"As egregiously, they encouraged residents under their care to do same. There is also something very sordid about the way in which white, female management have facilitated racism by colluding with white, male residents to give a misogynistic, racist view of the black complainant."
But employment judge George Alliott noted the term 'Karen' to be "pejorative".
Employment judge George Alliott said: "We note Christine Yates uses the slang term 'Karen', which is a pejorative and borderline racist, sexist and ageist term."
The judge did not uphold Ms Constance's claims, saying that the complaints against Ms Constance were "legitimate" and " did not constitute a targeted racist campaign against her."