Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council officers’ use of the Black Lives Matter logo in their communication with Mr X. This is because there is no evidence to suggest fault by the Council nor injustice caused to Mr X sufficient to warrant an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about Council officers using the Black Lives Matter logo in their correspondence when communicating with him. He says this causes him distress and he feels bullied and victimised.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council, including its response to the complaint.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained to the Council about communication he received from officers which contained the Black Lives Matter logo and he objected to this. The Council referred to an earlier complaint it had considered from him in 2022 about the same matter and explained again that it would not be asking staff to remove the logo. It said it was sorry Mr X found it offensive but it said it signalled commitment to anti-racist practice and it would not remove a logo widely used and supported throughout the Council because one person found it offensive.
6. We do not investigate every complaint we receive and we will not investigate where we decide the tests in our Assessment Code are not met. There is no evidence to suggest fault by the Council in its handling of this matter nor injustice caused to Mr X sufficient to warrant an investigation.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is no evidence to suggest fault by the Council nor injustice caused to Mr X sufficient to warrant an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman