In a significant ruling that sends ripples through the football community, an employment tribunal has upheld three claims of racial harassment against former Crawley Town manager John Yems, marking another dark chapter in the club's recent history.

The tribunal, which delivered its verdict on Monday, found Crawley Town "vicariously liable" for failing to protect former player Amrit Bansal-McNulty from abusive behavior during his loan spell at the club in the 2021-22 season. The midfielder, whose father is Indian and mother is Irish, alleged that Yems made derogatory comments about eating curry—remarks the former manager attempted to dismiss as mere "banter."

This latest development comes on the heels of Yems' previous disciplinary troubles. The 63-year-old manager, who led Crawley from 2019 to 2022, had already been hit with a three-year ban by the Football Association—the longest ever handed out for discrimination—after being found guilty of 11 charges while at the club. That suspension was originally 17 months but was increased following an appeal, even though four charges were dismissed and the original FA commission controversially concluded Yems was "not a conscious racist."

For Bansal-McNulty, a former Northern Ireland Under-21 international, the battle has been deeply personal. He claims the abuse he endured caused "psychiatric, and career-ending, injury" and is now seeking compensation. While his claims against Queens Park Rangers were dismissed, the tribunal found Crawley Town shared responsibility for creating an environment where such harassment could occur.

In its final observations, the tribunal struck a somber note: "Unfortunately there are no real winners in this case. Whilst the Claimant has been partially successful in his claims against Mr Yems, and vicariously Crawley Town, his claims against QPR have failed. Mr Yems has not, and realistically was never going to, obtain the exoneration of his conduct."

The case now moves to a remedy hearing, where compensation will be determined—a process that will involve only Yems and Crawley Town, as the club faces the consequences of failing to protect one of its players.