Bafta fell short in duty of care when racial slur was shouted, review finds
Bafta’s Duty of Care Questioned After Racial Slur Incident at Awards Ceremony
An independent assessment has concluded that the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) did not adequately fulfill its responsibility to attendees, members, and viewers during the February film awards ceremony when a racial slur was involuntarily uttered. However, the review noted there was no deliberate intent behind the incident.
Incident Details
John Davidson, a Tourette’s advocate, inadvertently used the term during the event as two Black actors, Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, were presenting on stage. The review highlighted the complexity of the situation, involving a mix of disability, live broadcast risk, and the historical weight of the language used.
The BBC’s internal inquiry into the incident, published this week, revealed that the broadcast violated editorial standards and should not have aired, though it was not intentional. Bafta responded by acknowledging its failure to anticipate the impact, stating it had ‘not sufficiently anticipated or prepared for the effects of such an incident in a live broadcast setting.’
Bafta’s Response
In response, Bafta stated it had ‘not sufficiently anticipated or prepared for the effects of such an incident in a live broadcast setting,’ the organization noted, adding that they had sent direct apologies to those impacted. On Friday, the group expressed a ‘full and unreserved apology’ to the Black community, the disabled community, and all participants and viewers at the ceremony.
The independent review, carried out by Rise Associates, highlighted ‘multiple structural gaps in Bafta’s event planning, response protocols, and crisis management,’ the organization stated. ‘Yet, there was no indication of deliberate racism among the individuals involved, and we endorse their findings entirely.’
Broader Implications
The review emphasized that it would be ‘incorrect to label the event as an example of institutional racism, as this overlooks a crucial element.’ ‘Institutional racism means that racial bias is embedded in systems, policies, and culture,’ the report explained. ‘In such systems, discriminatory outcomes occur regardless of individual intent.’
The available evidence does not support that conclusion here. Instead, the report suggests that Bafta’s planning and risk governance systems have ‘not kept pace’ with its diversity goals. Work is underway to address specific areas for improvement, aiming to reduce the likelihood of similar incidents in the future.
“I want to be really clear that the intent behind them [the tics] is zero. What you’re hearing is a symptom—not my character, not my thought, not my belief,” said John Davidson in an interview with Variety.
“What was supposed to be a moment of celebration was diminished and overshadowed,” the organization said. “We accept its conclusions in full.”
“We did what we had to do as we carried on presenting after the shout,” Delroy Lindo told Vanity Fair. “But I wish someone from Bafta had spoken to us afterward.”
