Would-Be Police Officer Denied Job for Being a White Male Wins Appeal
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An aspiring police officer who was denied a job in his local police force because he was white, straight, and male has won his appeal against the decision.
Matthew Furlong, 25, applied to join Cheshire Police, following in the footsteps of his father Liam Furlong, but was rejected using the so-called “positive action” provisions in the Equality Act.
The force had previously received criticism for having no black police officers and so introduced the policy to try and increase diversity in their ranks.
Mr Furlong’s father complained about the decision and the case was taken to a tribunal which Mr Furlong won, with the court deciding that he had been discriminated against on the basis of his race, sex, and sexual orientation, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The tribunal ruled that positive action can only be used in a so-called “tie break” situation in which two candidates for the role are equally qualified, and that did not apply in case of Mr Furlong, who has a degree in particle physics and cosmology.
The would-be recruit said the experience had “completely shattered” his faith in the police recruitment system.
He went on say that had he lied and claimed he was bisexual, for example, he would probably have been accepted based on that lie at the first time of asking.
“I absolutely agree that a force should represent the equality and diversity of the community it serves but that must be achieved legitimately and without discriminating against anyone,” he added.
< >
An aspiring police officer who was denied a job in his local police force because he was white, straight, and male has won his appeal against the decision.
Matthew Furlong, 25, applied to join Cheshire Police, following in the footsteps of his father Liam Furlong, but was rejected using the so-called “positive action” provisions in the Equality Act.
The force had previously received criticism for having no black police officers and so introduced the policy to try and increase diversity in their ranks.
Mr Furlong’s father complained about the decision and the case was taken to a tribunal which Mr Furlong won, with the court deciding that he had been discriminated against on the basis of his race, sex, and sexual orientation, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The tribunal ruled that positive action can only be used in a so-called “tie break” situation in which two candidates for the role are equally qualified, and that did not apply in case of Mr Furlong, who has a degree in particle physics and cosmology.
The would-be recruit said the experience had “completely shattered” his faith in the police recruitment system.
He went on say that had he lied and claimed he was bisexual, for example, he would probably have been accepted based on that lie at the first time of asking.
“I absolutely agree that a force should represent the equality and diversity of the community it serves but that must be achieved legitimately and without discriminating against anyone,” he added.
