Library worker alleges racial abuse over Irishness

A London library worker who claims he was the victim of racial abuse because he is Irish is seeking an apology from the local…

A London library worker who claims he was the victim of racial abuse because he is Irish is seeking an apology from the local council which employs him.

Mr Stephen O'Sullivan (38), whose father comes from Dublin and whose mother was Anglo-Indian, claims that staff at Ealing Central Library mocked him when he described himself as Irish.

An employment tribunal will hear the complaint by Mr O'Sullivan, who lives in Chiswick in west London, on July 26th.

A spokesman for the council said it would be inappropriate for it to discuss the case prior to the hearing.

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Mr O'Sullivan, who is taking the case himself, claims he has suffered "mental torture" since 1993. He said he had gone to the council doctor and told him he was being bullied. He claims senior management ignored his complaints about racial discrimination.

He says his claims to be Irish are the same as those of international soccer star Paul McGrath and rock singer Phil Lynott. "I come from a very strong Irish background and all my culture is Irish. My dad was born in Dublin. His father was from Cahirciveen in Kerry and his mother came from Fethard in Tipperary."

Mr O'Sullivan, who plans to apply for an Irish passport, said he suffered persistent abuse when he maintained he was Irish.

"They thought I should be Indian because I looked Indian, which is very narrow-minded. I was picked on all the time. I can take a joke but when it is vindictive it is a different matter.

"Staff kept saying I should admit I was Asian, or they would say `you are looking very dark today', `why are you pretending you are Irish?' or `come on Mr Irishman, stack the shelves"'.

Now transferred to Ealing's library in Acton, he said the easiest thing would have been to drop his case. "But I don't want people to say you are nothing and think they can walk all over you," he said.