Irish woman awarded $31K after suing boss for repeatedly hurling ‘potato’ slur — other ‘humiliating’ terms at her
An Irish woman has been awarded $31,000 after enduring repeated racial abuse from her British boss, who reportedly taunted her with slurs—including calling her a “potato” in an exaggerated Irish accent.
Bernadette Hayes, 55, told a UK employment court that the six months of harassment from Mick Atkins, her manager at West Leeds Civil Ltd, left her feeling as though she had “suffered a death by a thousand cuts,” according to the Independent.
Hayes said Atkins regularly shouted derogatory terms such as “paddy,” “stupid paddy,” and “pikey” at her, often using a strong Irish brogue to mock her heritage. Court documents indicate the abuse began in late 2023 and intensified when another man joined the firm, leaving Hayes “physically sick” and terrified of further ridicule.
“This totally eroded my self-respect and my self-esteem,” she told the court, explaining she felt too intimidated by her “volatile” boss to speak up. Hayes said the constant harassment made her feel “small, insecure, violated and extremely anxious,” ultimately forcing her to quit in July 2024 due to panic attacks and insomnia.
Judge Sophie Buckley ruled that Atkins had created a “hostile, humiliating and offensive” workplace. “Taken as a whole, it is reasonable for an individual of Irish heritage to find the repeated use of the terms ‘potato,’ ‘Paddy,’ ‘stupid Paddy,’ and ‘pikey’ offensive and humiliating,” the judge wrote.
“These phrases are overtly linked to race, particularly when considered together rather than in isolation. On that basis, I find that the conduct was linked to race.”
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