The WRC found that a member of the Traveller community was discriminated against and ordered €5,000 compensation. Adjudication Officer Aideen Collard dated the decision 2 November 2016.
The complainant said she rejoined a fitness course on 19 August 2013, paying €30, and was told to leave on 29 August. The respondent, described as the chairman and nominee of a sporting club and a gym, did not attend the hearing or give evidence. The adjudicator accepted the complainant and her sister as credible witnesses.
The adjudicator found that non-Traveller members who kept their places provided comparators and that the complainant was excluded because of her Traveller community membership. The award reflected the seriousness of the discrimination and the public humiliation of being told to leave. Her sister’s related complaint was heard alongside hers.