A TEST Valley borough councillor and former Lloyds Bank manager who was sacked after he inadvertently used the N-word while seeking advice during race education training has spoken out after winning £800,000 as damages from his ex-employer.

Carl Borg-Neal, former mayor of Test Valley, was fired from his job for gross misconduct after he raised a question at a training session in July 2021 on what to do if he heard a black colleague using the racial epithet but accidentally said it in full.

The 59-year-old, who had spent 26 years at Lloyds, then spent the next two years fighting against Lloyds - a battle he described as 'David versus Goliath'.

An employment tribunal ruling in August 2023 found Lloyds unfairly dismissed him, marking a significant milestone in his pursuit of justice.

READ MORE: Lloyds bank boss and former Test Valley mayor unfairly dismissed over N-word query

The tribunal has ordered Lloyds to pay damages to the tune of £800,000.

In an interview, Mr Borg-Neal has opened up to the Advertiser to share his thoughts on the outcome, the lessons learned, and his unwavering commitment to advocating for neurodiversity and fair employment practices.

He said: "It wasn't easy, but I always wanted to make sure I cleared my name."

Mr Borg-Neal continued: "I first got the proper legal help from the Free Speech Union when I joined it in February 2023. A legal team came on board in March or April. So from July 2021 through to March 2023, I was fighting the battle myself with the help of my brother and another friend."

Reflecting on the lessons learned, he expressed a fervent desire to raise awareness about neurodiversity, dispelling stigmas associated with conditions like dyslexia.

His focus extends beyond personal vindication as he aims to spark change in corporate attitudes towards neurodiverse people, like himself, and the need for transparent and unbiased disciplinary processes.

"There's a bit of a stigmatism that if you're neurodiverse, you're stupid, which is far from the truth. Most of these people are intelligent, it’s just their inability to express or communicate that intelligence outward."

He is also calling for a re-evaluation of corporate practices, ensuring fair and unbiased treatment for all employees.

Mr Borg-Neal, who has dyslexia, advised: "Look at their disciplinary processes and ensure that there's checks and measures in place to ensure that things are being done properly, aligned with the process."

The financial burden of the tribunal process is another aspect that Mr Borg-Neal wants to highlight.

"My legal bill was just short of £150,000. I needed that level of legal support to win my case. If I hadn't won disability discrimination, my payout would have been capped at £100,000. And that meant I would have ended up just clearing my name with a £50,000 bill in my pocket."

During this time, Mr Borg-Neal also had to deal with his deteriorating health due to the stress.

"It took about a year and a half to get through the tribunal process. With the amount of stress from the year fighting with Lloyds, my health diminished. I just wondered how many people walk away from cases because it's just too hard and too difficult to fight this injustice.

"I'm lucky I've got a very supportive family, and friends. I managed to link with the Free Speech Union. Potentially, without all that support, I would have given up. I think there needs to be more support for employees because they don't have the money to throw at it to defend themselves like the big corporates do."

Mr Borg-Neal said he has been getting support through a bank workers charity, NHS and a private health company. 

"They all have been brilliant, the NHS particularly. I've had a number of conditions which they've acted on very quickly to make sure that they're just stress.

"I had issues with my stomach, liver, back. The NHS did quick checks to find that it was just stress and nothing major, but I’m still on six different tablets for stress and anxiety. It will take another two years to come completely off these medicines.

"My blood pressure and cholesterol are still high. When you're stressed you don't eat properly. So a large number of conditions I'm still suffering are from the back of it, but I've got family and friends helping me."

While his health is getting better, Mr Borg-Neal is still thinking about how to move forward with his professional and personal life.

"It's far too early," he said. "I'm still kind of reeling from it at the moment. I need to sit down with my family and friends and discuss how best to invest the money.

"I have to think whether to stay part-time or do I go back into full-time work? I need to sort my mental state and my house out. I don't have to work immediately because, obviously, I have a buffer that will help me for the rest of my life, or at least until I start drawing a pension."

Although Lloyds has been ordered to pay £800,000 as damages, not all that money will come to him.

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Cllr Borg-Neal said he will have to pay tax in the region of £300,000.

"I then need to pay my legal bills, which is just under £150,000."

Despite the struggles, he is thankful to those who helped him and members of the public, including the Test Valley Borough Council, who stood by him.

He added: "Really a big thank you to everybody for all the support I've been getting since this came out. It's humbling, really."