Collingwood will defend themselves against significant claims of racism brought in court, claiming that the club acted legally.
The AFL has been urged to deprive the Magpies of premiership points if explosive allegations are verified.
The club, including CEO Craig Kelly, is facing serious charges that were lodged on Monday in Australia’s federal circuit and family court.
The documents name only one petitioner, Mark Cleaver, Collingwood’s former head of First Nations strategy, and one respondent, the Magpies.
Collingwood stated that they were devoted to a “welcoming, safe, and inclusive” workplace.
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Cleaver first revealed the issue in March, and the club investigated the complaints.
“In addition to the internal approach, an external expert was consulted to assess the findings. Both processes revealed no violations of workplace legislation,” the club said in a statement.
“Following the conclusion of both processes, the former staff member submitted additional claims to Victoria Police, who investigated them and decided not to pursue further action.
“The former staff member worked for Collingwood for six months.
“The employment terminated for reasons unrelated to their worries.
“We are entitled to expect more from a club that has promised to do better,” Daniel Victory, principal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, said in a statement.
“The alleged conduct in this instance has no place in society or any sporting club, never alone in a league that claims to be an instrument of social change.
“Football fans have the right to be disappointed once more by the Collingwood Football Club.
“The AFL should consider penalising premiership points from clubs if allegations like this are proven.”
AFL spokesperson Jay Allen said that the league’s integrity section was aware of a human resources workplace complaint filed by a Collingwood employee.
“The matter was deemed a workplace issue for the club and was triaged to the club’s HR department to manage accordingly,” Allen informed the audience.
In 2021, the Magpies commissioned an independent review to address racism.
Former President Eddie McGuire described the release of the Do Better report as “a historic and proud day”.
McGuire resigned after more than 20 years in office, a week after his widely condemned remarks.
Héritier Lumumba, a Collingwood premiership player, was in a long-running conflict with his old club over racism, frequently voicing his displeasure with Magpies management.
Lumumba originally voiced concerns about racism at the club in 2013, and his charges sparked an investigation and the following Do Better report.
