Hawthorn racism saga: Jason Burt hits back at First Nations families’ open letter

Former Hawthorn welfare manager Jason Burt has hit back after a statement from First Nations families involved in the club’s racism saga and declared he will go to court to clear his name.

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Former Hawthorn welfare manager Jason Burt’s camp has hit out at an open letter from the families at the centre of the club’s racism saga, claiming their allegations “are wrong” and that they had been seeking cash.

Burt is also firmly backing the transparency of potential court action.

The ex-Hawks staff member was named alongside former Hawthorn senior coach Alastair Clarkson and former Hawks football boss Chris Fagan by the four families and others as being central to harrowing historical allegations of racism as part of the club’s cultural safety review that was commissioned in 2022.

The First Nations families - which includes four-time premiership player Cyril Rioli and wife Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli - allege they were victims of racism at the club, that some were forcibly separated, and one claims they were urged to have an abortion.

Jason Burt.

The three men have strenuously denied all claims.

Responding to the letter late on Friday night, Burt - via his lawyer Tony Hargreaves - admonished the allegations that were detailed in the letter as “wrong”.

“It is simply not true that the complainants have not been seeking financial compensation,” the statement said.

The group, which on Friday night penned its open letter that was signed by the Riolis, former Hawthorn players Carl Peterson and Jermaine Miller-Lewis, his wife Montanah and former Hawthorn indigenous liaison officer Leon Egan via their lawyer Leon Zwier, has maintained that “we never asked for money” and simply want their stories to be heard.

Cyril Rioli.

The AFL shut down its independent investigation into the saga on Tuesday night after reaching a resolution with the group, which on Friday lodged proceedings in the Australian Human Rights Commission.

“The AFL had thousands of documents from Hawthorn and detailed information from me, Alastair and Chris which showed that their allegations were wrong,” the statement from Burt’s camp said.

“Jason has always been willing to meet with the complainants. The only thing he asked for before meeting with them was access to the Hawthorn documents that the lawyers for the complainants refused to release until late last week.

“The allegations the complainants have made are wrong.”

The move comes after Burt delivered an emotional Facebook post on Wednesday, which claimed that the players who are speaking out “all needed substantial guidance, support and care” and labelled the Binmada Report commissioned by Hawthorn as “a disgrace”.

He also detailed the “anguish and hurt” experienced by his family “throughout this ordeal and likely into the future”.

The group of former Hawks players and staff have also pledged to take their fight as far as they need to in order to feel heard, declaring they would be willing to “end up in the Federal Court”.

Burt’s team said he would be more than willing to partake in any further legal proceedings.

“Jason may respond in further detail when he has had time to consider this latest statement from Leon Zwier and welcomes the opportunity to do so in any court,” the statement said.

Originally published as Hawthorn racism saga: Jason Burt hits back at First Nations families’ open letter