My name is Semhar Tesfagiorgis and I worked for Crown London Aspinalls as a croupier in their Mayfair casino for over 13 years. I am here today to remind all employers that Black women are human and as humans, we have rights. 

After years of myself and my fellow black female colleagues enduring discrimination from wealthy patrons and being unsupported by management, I brought a claim in the London Central Employment Tribunal against Crown London Aspinalls for race and sex discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

Why I'm taking legal action

Exclusive high end casinos are members only clubs, closed off from the rest of the world. However I know that most people would be utterly shocked and disgusted with how the company permit their millionaire clients to behave in this space.

Over the years I have witnessed or experienced blatant verbal, sexist and racial abuse, often in the presence of management but always on record.  The experiences of myself and colleagues is well documented and were also reported in the press earlier this year.

As far as I am aware, to date Crown Aspinalls have not taken any action to protect their Black and/or female workers and have instead given in to their racist and misogynistic wealthy patrons putting profit before unlawful discrimination. Although this is my case, I represent a larger collective of individuals who have been continually ignored, gas lighted and silenced and I fight for them as much as myself.

How can you help?

I fear that I will be priced out of taking my case all the way in the Tribunal as I clearly do not have the means to match my former employer. I am hoping to stand up to this racist millionaire’s club to show them that they are not above the law and that we cannot be bullied out of justice. I am hoping to raise £30,000 in order to see my case through the Tribunal and expose this racist industry for what it is.

As hard as it is for me to ask, I do realise I cannot do this alone and therefore I need your support: please contribute and share this page now!

I want to show that people in my situation do not have to stand for this abuse and that the bottom line and profit doesn’t give any company the right to behave as they have in my situation.

What am I trying to achieve?

Casinos need to understand that racism must be challenged and that racism from customers will not be tolerated. They should be protecting their workers rather standing by and watching in silence while employees are attacked and abused.

I have been psychologically damaged by my experiences. I am not the only one in my industry who has suffered in this way and I hope my claim will be a wake up call to the Industry that BAME colleagues should not be denigrated for the colour of our skin or our sex.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story, please donate and please share.