Racist tirade caught on video at Georgetown Golf Course
A racist tirade at a Georgetown golf course has been caught on video.
The footage was taken at Georgetown Golf Club Saturday afternoon by Brampton resident Gursher Dhillon, a member of the club. It shows parts of a heated confrontation between him and another family.
According to Dhillon, there was tension with the family throughout the afternoon as he and his friend played just ahead of them on the golf course. He alleges it came to a head at the final hole.
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“The son mentioned to me: ‘you better hit a good shot’,” says Dhillon. “Luckily I hit a good shot and after I hit this good shot I [said] to my friend ‘was that good enough’ and as I said that, the father got out of the cart … he said he was going to shove that golf club right up my a**.”
Dhillon says it was after this that he started filming on his phone. The older man in the video can then be heard directing a racial slur towards Dhillon.
“I just wanted to bring awareness, to fight against racism, because we all think it’s over. We all think it’s not there,” says Dhillon.
The man in the video has been identified as Michael Warrington, the chief financial officer at Terra Cotta Financial Group.
CityNews reached out to the family and in a statement, Warrington apologizes, saying in part:
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“I am terribly sorry for what I said. It was wrong. Despite what happened leading up to it, it was wrong and for that I make no excuse. First and foremost, to the people whom I said it, I apologize. To my family who have been threatened as a result of this, I apologize. And most importantly, to all marginalized communities, I apologize. I know what I said was wrong and I promise to do better.”
Dhillon says he brought the incident to the attention of the golf course, where he is a paying member.
The course is run by ClubLink which posted a statement to social media confirming the incident.
“The incident which occurred yesterday unquestionably runs counter to our values as an organization,” part of the statement said. “We continually strive to offer members a safe and inclusive environment, operating with a zero-tolerance approach regarding such behaviour.”
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ClubLink said the golf course asked both parties to stay apart and asked both groups to leave the property after the 18th hole.
The company added, “the individual in question who made the racist remarks has been expelled and banned from visiting any Clublink property.”
They have also contacted Dhillon as part of their investigation, Clublink said.
Dhillon says he is open to speaking with Warrington and his family.
“I would like to invite you guys out to play with me to talk and to see what oppression and what racism we face and the problems we face and how they can open up their minds to accepting us for our differences,” he said.
