NT Aboriginal activist files human rights complaint against Scrabble for allowing players to score points for using racial slurs
A DARWIN man has filed a discrimination complaint against Australian makers of the boardgame Scrabble for including racial slurs in their word-check dictionary.
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A DARWIN man has filed a discrimination complaint against Australian makers of the boardgame Scrabble for including racial slurs in their word-check dictionary.
Dr Stephen Hagan, an Aboriginal activist who campaigned for 21 years to rename the cheese brand Coon, lodged the complaint against Mattel with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Dr Hagan’s complaint states the official Scrabble dictionary permits use of the racial slurs “abo”, “boong” and “coon”, allowing players to score points for using them.
“In the era of Black Lives Matter, when the rest of the world is reassessing their values on race-specific issues, Scrabble is going against the trend and making little effort to audit their products that have the potential of causing offence,” Dr Hagan said in his complaint.
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“It’s appalling that Mattel promotes teaching kids that it is OK to use a racial slur if that’s what it takes to win a Scrabble game.”
Dr Hagan noted the N-word had already been banned from the Scrabble dictionary.
Dr Hagan said he was seeking the removal of the offensive words from the Scrabble word dictionary.
He has called for a national boycott of the popular board game until the words are removed.
“I object to overseas companies making financial gain by peddling bigotry in their products to Aussie families, especially First Nations families,” he said.
“It’s time for fair minded Australians to make a stand by not buying Scrabble or any of Mattel’s products until such time as they cease validating racial slurs abo, boong and coon.
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Additionally, I seek compensation of $150,000 for hurt and humiliation and a public apology from senior management of Mattel Australia.”
Mattel was contacted for comment.
Originally published as NT Aboriginal activist files human rights complaint against Scrabble for allowing players to score points for using racial slurs
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