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Lawyers for Trinity will show 'chapter and verse' that it 'is not a racist university', WRC told

Summary

Lawyers for Trinity College have stated they will present statistics to demonstrate that the university is not racist, as they defend an academic's workplace equality claim. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is set to hear a complaint under the Employment Equality Act 1998 from Dr Abhijit Sarkar, a historian who has written on the late colonial period in India. Dr Sarkar claimed that the university's lawyers were attempting to 'gag' him by seeking a direction that he not share legal documents related to his case. Counsel for the university, Clíona Kimber SC, argued that the allegations against Trinity were 'very sweeping' and should not be published widely. She stated that the university would show 'chapter and verse' that it is not a racist institution. Dr Sarkar countered that the email was related to an academic post in modern South American history and that those involved in the hiring process needed to be aware of the legal proceedings. The case was adjourned with the university given until later this month to file submissions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Lawyers for Trinity will show 'chapter and verse' that it 'is not a racist university', WRC told. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• 2026-02-03 Publication

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report