Calling someone a ‘Karen’ is ‘borderline racist, sexist and ageist’, tribunal says

Calling someone a “Karen” is “borderline racist, sexist and ageist”, a tribunal judge has said.

Employment judge George Alliott said the term, typically targeted at middle-aged white women, was pejorative.

The remarks came in the case of Sylvia Constance, 74, who had brought claims of unfair dismissal, direct race and age discrimination and victimisation against Harpenden Mencap, a charity that provides support to adults with learning disabilities.

Constance, who the tribunal heard is black British, said she was targeted because of her race, having been dismissed on 13 June 2023 because of an “irrevocable breakdown in the relationship” with Mencap.

Bosses had previously suspended Constance over claims of “emotional/psychological abuse of a tenant in your care” and “bullying and intimidation of colleagues”, the tribunal heard.

Christine Yates, who represented Constance at the tribunal, said in a document: “The respondents have acted like the stereotypical ‘Karen’, having weaponised their privilege and more powerful position against the complainant, making up and suspending the complainant for numerous fictitious infringements, and deflecting from their personal misconduct.

“As egregiously, they encouraged residents under their care to do same. There is also something very sordid about the way in which white, female management have facilitated racism by colluding with white, male residents to give a misogynistic, racist view of the black complainant.”

But Alliott said: “We note Christine Yates uses the slang term ‘Karen’, which is a pejorative and borderline racist, sexist and ageist term.”

The judge dismissed Constance’s claims, saying that the complaints against her were “legitimate” and “did not constitute a targeted racist campaign against her”.