Backlash follows finding football coach who used ‘offensive, racist and Islamophobic’ language ‘not consciously racist’

Backlash follows finding football coach who used ‘offensive, racist and Islamophobic’ language ‘not consciously racist’

[ad_1]



CNN

Anti-racism group and English Football Association (FA) say British football manager who used ‘offensive, racist and Islamophobic’ language is ‘not a conscious racist’ We condemn the results of the Independent Commission’s investigation.

Former manager of Crawley Town FC, John Yems, has been accused of making at least 16 offensive comments between 2019 and 2022. / Or gender,” said the FA, the governing body of English football.

An independent regulatory commission appointed by the FA has investigated 12 violations of FA rules and suspended Yems from all football and football-related activities for a period of 18 months, including 1 June 2024. The organization said in a January 6 statement. He was suspended from his coaching duties in April pending a regulatory commission investigation and was fired from the club in May.

In response to the independent commission’s findings, the FA said in a statement Wednesday that it was “considering legal options” following the ruling, noting that “this was not a case of intentional racism.” I fundamentally do not agree with the results of the independent commission’s investigation.”

Jems acknowledged one comment and denied 15, according to the FA. At the hearing, an independent regulatory board found Yems guilty of 11 of his violations and failed to prove his remaining four, the FA added.

Yems, 62, testified to the panel that he was not racist. He admitted that he hadn’t paid enough attention to speaking in a “politically correct way.”

In its findings, the independent panel said it found that “11 of the 15 extant claims were established on the basis of the balance of probabilities.”

The report, reviewed by CNN, outlines Yems’ overtly racist remarks, including slurs and crude stereotypes of people of Black, Muslim, Caribbean and South Asian descent.

However, despite the “offensive, racist and Islamophobic” comments, the committee was led by Robert Englehart KC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC’s general manager of football operations, Matt. Wilde and a committee that included Tony Agana, a former footballer and FA claims panel expert arbitrator, found that Yems was not a “consciously racist” and would face harsher penalties such as a permanent suspension. was not worth it.

“Mr. Yems acknowledges that he is not a conscious racist,” the committee wrote, detailing that it reached this conclusion after reviewing written submissions from both parties. If he is, a very long, even permanent suspension would be appropriate.

“Nevertheless, Mr. Jems’ ‘joke’ was undoubtedly perceived by victims and others as offensive, racist and Islamophobic.” It paid no attention to the pain it was causing,” the panel added.

CNN has reached out to Crawley Town FC and the English Football League for comment.

CNN also provided Yems with the right to respond through the League Managers Association, an organization representing football coaches in the UK.

The anti-discrimination group Kick It Out also criticized the panel’s findings, saying in a statement:

“Given the seriousness of the detailed incident, it is very difficult to understand why the FA Independent Commission concluded that ‘Mr. Yems is not a conscious racist.’ It must be pointed out that the actions outlined in the report are precisely racist and Islamophobic.

“Frankly, given the severity of the 11 substantiated charges, the 15-month suspension does not apply to victims of discriminatory abuse detailed in this report, or to racial discrimination or It’s a slap in the face for those who have been exposed to Islamophobia,” they added.

Meanwhile, the anti-racism education group Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) said it was “incredibly disappointed” by the comments highlighted in the report.

“Racism, whether ‘conscious’ or not, seriously damages individuals,” the group added.

“In addition to sanctions from the FA, strong and extensive anti-racism educational training is needed. You can’t.SRtRC.

“It is important that people understand that the football family is united at all levels of the game to eradicate racism from the game and wider society.”

The commission noted that Yems reported that he had attended two online courses, but said he still needed to undergo an educational program, although details were not provided.

[ad_2]

Source link