London – April 25, 2025
A British civil servant of Nigerian descent, Victor Stanley-Idum, has lost a racism and discrimination lawsuit filed against the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), following disciplinary action over his conduct while working remotely.
Stanley-Idum, a senior executive officer at the MoD, was issued an informal warning in 2021 for what his supervisors described as a “casual attitude to working hours.” The situation escalated after it was discovered that he had taken an Uber to the airport during official working hours, claiming he was still working remotely while in transit.
In response to the disciplinary measures, Stanley-Idum accused his management of racial stereotyping, specifically suggesting that they harboured a view that “Black Africans are lazy.” He subsequently filed a lawsuit against the department, alleging racial harassment, disability discrimination, and victimisation.
However, an employment tribunal in the UK dismissed all claims, siding with the MoD. The tribunal, led by Employment Judge Tim Adkin, stated that there was no evidence supporting the accusation that Stanley-Idum’s supervisor, Sharon Docherty, or the department held racial biases.
“He was working remotely, as indeed were most of his colleagues,” Judge Adkin noted. “There were a series of concerns raised about his output, and it was difficult to monitor what he was working on. There is evidence that he was taking time during the working day to do things unrelated to work.”
The tribunal also found his explanation that he was actively working while traveling in an Uber “unconvincing,” especially in light of other reported absences. Stanley-Idum was also said to have missed a team-building day at Sandhurst despite confirming his attendance in advance.
During the proceedings, which were held virtually, it was revealed that Stanley-Idum began working at the MoD in April 2017 as an analyst and was promoted to project manager in April 2020, shortly after the onset of the COVID-19 lockdown.
The tribunal concluded that the actions taken by Stanley-Idum’s supervisors were based on performance concerns rather than racial prejudice, and found no merit in the claims of discrimination.
All charges were dismissed.
