Jewish schoolboys from Yavneh College high school in London were barred from entering the Sports Direct branch in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, on Friday afternoon. Sports Direct is a leading sporting goods retailer in the UK.
The boys were accosted by a security guard who stopped them from entering, saying 'no Jews, no Jews allowed.'
The boys whom were stopped were all wearing Yavneh College school uniform sweaters. Other boys from the same school who had their sweaters covered were not stopped.
After several parents complained to the store's management (including one, David Rosen who is a lawyer) the store's management promptly apologized.
Professor Rosen, the former head of the Yavneh Association committee, later added: “The matter has been taken extremely seriously by Sports Direct at the highest managerial level. The area manager, in the first instance, acted swiftly to remove the security guard for the offensive remarks, who in turn, no longer works for the security company.
“Simon Bentley, the senior independent director at Sports Direct, contacted me, and having thoroughly investigated the matter, apologised.
“Sports Direct have confirmed to me that the actions of this guard were entirely contrary to their policies and that Jews are welcome as are all customers, whatever their religious denomination."
A Sports Direct spokesman said: “Our area manager was notified immediately of this incident and took swift action.
"He personally removed the guard and liaised with the security company which employed the individual. We were subsequently advised that he has been let go by that company.
"The guard was deeply offensive and disrespectful to the school children. We take pride in the lack of prejudice amongst our trained staff and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”
One thing that is notably missing from this story, and certainly the ultra politically correct UK Jewish Chronicle would never mention it. Anyone want to make a bet that the security guard just happened to be a Pakistani Muslim...or in politically craven BritSpeak, 'an Asian?' I think the writer here is being a bit presumptuous. The guard might well have come from the middle east. Israel is not normally high on the agenda of Pakistanis.
While it would be interesting to know if the guard was acting entirely on his own - I have some difficulty with that - or if he was instructed or encouraged by a superior. In any event, it was a 'one-off' situation and I don't think it is an example of growing antisemitism, although there is no doubt that antisemitism is growing.
The boys whom were stopped were all wearing Yavneh College school uniform sweaters. Other boys from the same school who had their sweaters covered were not stopped.
After several parents complained to the store's management (including one, David Rosen who is a lawyer) the store's management promptly apologized.
Professor Rosen, the former head of the Yavneh Association committee, later added: “The matter has been taken extremely seriously by Sports Direct at the highest managerial level. The area manager, in the first instance, acted swiftly to remove the security guard for the offensive remarks, who in turn, no longer works for the security company.
“Simon Bentley, the senior independent director at Sports Direct, contacted me, and having thoroughly investigated the matter, apologised.
A Sports Direct spokesman said: “Our area manager was notified immediately of this incident and took swift action.
"He personally removed the guard and liaised with the security company which employed the individual. We were subsequently advised that he has been let go by that company.
"The guard was deeply offensive and disrespectful to the school children. We take pride in the lack of prejudice amongst our trained staff and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”
One thing that is notably missing from this story, and certainly the ultra politically correct UK Jewish Chronicle would never mention it. Anyone want to make a bet that the security guard just happened to be a Pakistani Muslim...or in politically craven BritSpeak, 'an Asian?' I think the writer here is being a bit presumptuous. The guard might well have come from the middle east. Israel is not normally high on the agenda of Pakistanis.
While it would be interesting to know if the guard was acting entirely on his own - I have some difficulty with that - or if he was instructed or encouraged by a superior. In any event, it was a 'one-off' situation and I don't think it is an example of growing antisemitism, although there is no doubt that antisemitism is growing.
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