Axed Clarks boss sticks the boot in
Chief executive ousted over ‘racist slurs’ accuses firm of hushing up financial woes
‘Fabricating a narrative’
THE former boss of Clarks shoes will today accuse the firm of ousting him on trumped-up charges of racism and homophobia.
Mike Shearwood will claim at an employment tribunal that he was dismissed as chief executive last year because he had tried to expose mismanagement. Clarks maintains that he referred to black people as ‘violent’ and sent a WhatsApp message containing the word ‘darkies’.
Mr Shearwood, 56, has also been accused of asking a lesbian member of staff intrusive questions about her sexuality. He denies the allegations against him, saying the comments were either made up or taken out of context. He says he was not given a chance to answer the allegations because his exit was announced the day he was confronted by directors.
At the tribunal in Bristol today Mr Shearwood is expected to claim Clarks was nearly insolvent when he joined the firm in September 2016.
He will say minutes and accounts were manipulated to disguise the problems, according to the Sunday Times.
The case is likely to be highly embarrassing for the familyowned business, which has more than 1,400 stores around the world.
Clarks said in a statement: ‘We reject all allegations raised by Mr Shearwood and we stand by our decision in relation to Mr Shearwood’s termination.
‘It is Clarks’ firmly held belief that Mr Shearwood is fabricating a frivolous and vexatious narrative surrounding his time at Clarks purely with the intent of eliciting a termination payment from the business. Clarks made it clear at the time of his departure that his behaviour was such as to warrant no compensatory or notice payment.
‘Clarks hopes the tribunal will agree with us and see Mr Shearwood’s claim for the tactical device it is. This is a calculated attempt to damage the Clarks business and its reputation.’
The company was founded in 1825 by a Quaker family in Street, Somerset. With annual sales of £1.5billion, it is the 22nd biggest private company in the UK, when private equity funds are excluded.
Mr Shearwood, who is planning a separate High Court action against Clarks, also for unfair dismissal, declined to comment yesterday.