Racism did not play role in KFC bill

A black football coach, Christina Oshodi, has alleged racial discrimination after being questioned by her employers regarding her expense claims for takeaway meals from Domino's and KFC.

During an employment tribunal, it was revealed that Ms. Oshodi billed the Football Association (FA) for various items, including fast food, groceries from Sainsbury's, and cleaning products. When confronted about these claims, she argued that the food was necessary for her "cultural dietary requirements."

However, the receipts presented showed that her purchases included mainstream supermarket items like spaghetti and chopped tomatoes, as well as domestic cleaning supplies.

Ms. Oshodi, who served as a county coach developer for the FA, raised an internal complaint about how her expense investigation was handled and later alleged racial discrimination after she was made redundant for unrelated reasons.

The Watford tribunal ultimately dismissed her case, deeming her defense based on "cultural issues" as "unconvincing."

The investigation into her expenses was prompted by her manager, Andy Poole, who reported irregular claims to the payroll department in June 2018. The tribunal discovered questionable claims dating back to September 2016, including personal items like body lotion, ibuprofen, and cleaning supplies, along with takeaways and grocery purchases.

Ms. Oshodi was allowed to claim up to £10 for breakfast or lunch and £30 for dinner while on official trips. Following the payroll department's referral, human resources arranged a meeting for Ms. Oshodi with Mr. Poole's manager, Tony McCallum, in December 2018.

Ms. Oshodi contended that Mr. Poole had approved her claims for food purchases due to her allergies and "cultural dietary requirements." However, the tribunal found no consistent pattern of her purchasing specialized cultural foods with her expenses.

Employment Judge George Alliott stated, "After reviewing numerous receipts, we found no indication of specialized cultural foods being claimed."

Ms. Oshodi's additional claims for victimization and unfair dismissal were also rejected.

The Johnson Partnership 

Doncaster Crime Solicitors