Shrewsbury College race claim nets lecturer £25k

A lecturer born in Ethiopia has been awarded more than £25,000 in compensation following a race discrimination case against Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology lasting 13 years.

Dr Amaha Abegaze began a compensation claim against the college, in London Road, in September,1999 after complaining it rejected his application for the job of a lecturer in technology on grounds of race.

He had originally sought more than £100,000 in compensation but the claim faced long delays with Dr Abegaze complaining he was suffering from severe depression, tinnitus and other ailments.

The lecturer claimed damages for injury to feelings, past and future earnings and for the 'loss of expectation of life'. Following a break in the proceedings Dr Abegaze had been accused of not actively pursuing his case, and the Court of Appeal said it should continue at employment tribunal level.

But at Birmingham Employment Tribunal, Judge Mr David Kearsley confirmed in his report that the college had racially discriminated against Dr Abegaze and ordered it to pay a total of £25,787.

Representing the college, which denied the claim, Mr Andrew McGrath described Dr Abegaze of being devious and dishonest and of 'seeking a pot of gold', the report said.

The report, which was released on Friday by Mr Kearsley, said in recent years Dr Abegaze had made race discrimination claims against at least five colleges, including Burton-on-Trent and Stoke-on-Trent colleges, several GPs and even against nurses in a hospital.

"He subsequently became possessed of the belief that any college who rejected him, did so, on racial grounds, and that those seeking to offer medical assistance, were also acting in a racially discriminatory manner," said Mr Kearsley's report.

But in a ruling Mr Kearsley told Shrewsbury College of Arts and Technology to pay Dr Abegaze £8,000 for injury to feelings, £10,581 for loss of earnings and £7,206 interest.