Racist Dog Rejects Job Applicant

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According to a Belgian newspaper, a local businessman rejected a Nigerian job applicant on the grounds that his dog was racist and would probably bite the man.  The applicant was not even allowed to enter the business where he had hoped to apply.

The man was applying under a program run by the local labor office, which refers applicants to potential employers and gets feedback on the results.  Far from trying to hide the reason for his action, the businessman actually wrote on his feedback form that he could not hire the applicant because of his color, and the risk that the dog would bite him as a result.  He denied discriminating against the applicant himself, telling De Standaard newspaper, "My dog is racist.  Not me."

The labor office disagreed, and has removed the business from its list of potential employers.  The applicant, who has lived in Belgium for 32 years (since he was 21), said it was not the first time he had been denied a job because of his race, although he said other employers had been more subtle.

Link: Reuters