Tourette’s outbursts at the BAFTAs: What went wrong?
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“What are your thoughts on the racial slur yelled out at the BAFTAs the other day? Could the BAFTA people have done something better to prevent it?”
There is always something in public scandals that can be applied to the everyday workplace.
In this case, the February 22nd BAFTAs incident gives us insights into (1) event planning for professional events and (2) apologies that do and do not work.
The triggering event
The BAFTAs are an annual awards ceremony that take place in London and are broadcast by the BBC after a time delay of a few hours. The triggering event from this year’s ceremony involves attendees and presenters from two multiply nominated films.
One was white disability activist John Davidson, subject and executive producer of I Swear, a biographical film made about his life with Tourette’s. Davidson’s Tourette’s symptoms include coprolalia, the “involuntary outburst of obscene words or socially inappropriate and derogatory remarks.”
The other two are Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo representing Sinners, both highly esteemed Black actors. In addition to presenting with Lindo, Jordan was also nominated for a 2026 Best Actor BAFTA.
When Jordan and Lindo were on stage, Davidson yelled out what we call “the n-word.” This was not his first outburst of the evening involving taboo words, and it was not the last.
Davidson’s outburst could be heard throughout the auditorium and on stage. Backstage photos show Lindo and Jordan looking miserable and consoling each other. Jordan has said that his parents left in tears.
Event planning
At first, it looked like the big question after the ceremony was, “How can event planners be sensitive to the needs of different attendees? What do you do when those needs conflict?”
In other words, what was the right way to make sure that Davidson felt comfortable and safe while attending in support of his movie?
And, on the other hand, what was the right way to protect other attendees and presenters who might be harmed by his offensive outbursts?
Early reports suggested that the BAFTA decision makers had put in work to educate and accommodate. They had the host explain that an attendee with Tourette’s might produce involuntary verbal outbursts that didn’t represent his true feelings or opinions. Plus, Davidson, by his request, was seated 40 rows from the back, so that his outbursts might not be heard on the stage.
All of this seems like inclusive event planning, although many have questioned if it leaned too far in favor of Davidson’s comfort and accommodations and left, in particular, Black attendees vulnerable to hearing the most insulting and terrible slurs about them.
Not actually welcoming
In fact, it looks like the BAFTA and BBC were not actually working to accommodate and protect their attendees and presenters. Instead, their event planning seems to have been deliberately set up in the hopes of generating drama and scandal to create viral buzz and drive views.
The evidence is damning:
Even though he was in back, the organizers seated Davidson near a hot mic that picked up his tics and amplified them, so they were audible throughout the auditorium.
Executives from Sinners’ studio Warner Bros. reached out to BAFTA asking them to edit out the slur during the two-hour time delay between the taping and the broadcast. They did not edit it out, and it was aired in full on the BBC.
While the racial slur and the pained reactions by Jordan and Lindo were left in, the BBC broadcast did edit out:
the words “Free Palestine” in an acceptance speech
the word “pedophile” shouted out by Davidson after a joke by the bisexual host Alan Cumming
on-stage criticism of Donald Trump’s actions in Minnesota
At every inflection point, the BAFTAs and BBC chose to amplify instead of protect.
And their decisions caused real pain. Pain for Davidson, who has talked openly about how much physical and emotional damage he has dealt with because of his disability. And pain for for Black attendees and viewers, especially the two on stage, who have had to deal with the dehumanization and humiliation that come from racist language for their entire lives.
At work
How does this apply to the everyday workplace?
In my research and consulting, I have found that disrespect is by far the most common way language creates problems at work. When I train managers and HR professionals to identify damaging language, the #1 thing I guide them to look for is communication that sends the message that a person is lower status than they actually are.
In the everyday workplace, this shows up in all kinds of ways: interruptions, not inviting people to meetings, not giving credit where it is due, unconscious demotions, talking to someone as if they aren’t knowledgeable or competent, and more.
What I almost never talk about in my workshops or writing is the word we call “the n-word.” Because it is one of the two most powerfully disrespectful and damaging words in the English language.* It is the ultimate taboo word.
The BAFTAs are as high prestige as it gets in the British performing world. Being nominated and asked to present demonstrates real respect for your professional standing.
On the flip side, “the n-word” is as disrespectful and insulting as it gets. For Lindo and Jordan, its use at the BAFTAs introduced a split-second plummet from the highest high to the lowest low.
I hear a less dramatic version of this experience all the time when documenting what goes on in everyday workplaces. One minute, you’re just doing your best to do your job, be professional, produce high-quality work. And the next, a colleague’s language lets you know how little they think of you, how little they respect you, and how little they care about your feelings.
Apology fails
To add insult to injury, Davidson, the BBC, and the BAFTAs did not offer successful apologies after the event.
As I have written about before, in order to be effective, a real apology must include two essential components — without them, it is a non-apology that may do more harm than good. These two components are:
An acknowledgement of responsibility, including recognition of the harm that was done.
An offer of repair.
But apologies during and after the show did not meet this minimum standard.
(No responsibility or repair) After the racial slur was yelled out, Cumming briefly apologized to the audience, noting that the verbal tics were involuntary. He also used the “if anyone was offended” phrasing that is a classic component of non-apologies.
(No responsibility) The BBC apologized only for not editing out the slur prior to the broadcast. They did not acknowledge responsibility but did offer the repair of removing the word from the on-demand version.
(Not enough responsibility, no repair) The BAFTAs post-event statement used the word “responsibility” but left out the production team’s role in placing a hot mic near Davidson and decision to keep the slur in the official broadcast. They also thank Lindo and Jordan for their “incredible dignity and professionalism,” which sounds a lot like asking them to be the bigger person. There was no private apology or contact made with Jordan or Lindo.
(Not enough responsibility, no repair) Davidson’s post-event interview with Variety centered himself, highlighting how his tics are involuntary, do not reflect his opinions, and are painful and deeply shameful for him. All this is fair, and it is important that people recognize that his outburst is not the same as holding racist beliefs or endorsing that word’s use. But Davidson falls into the classic trap of focusing on intent and ignoring impact. His statements ignored the specific ways “the n-word” is harmful and the impact of that specific word on people who spend their lives faced with dehumanizing language and treatment.
Finally, there is the question of accountability and change in the future. Many wonder if anyone at the BAFTAs and the BBC will be held accountable. Also, what type of restitution or repair should be offered to Davidson, Lindo, and Jordan? One Black filmmaker has already resigned from his role as a BAFTA judge, and other Black creatives are calling for non-participation in the BAFTAs moving forward.
The lessons
Here are the main lessons that we can apply to the workplace:
When planning a professional event, take the time to think through everyone’s needs, including accommodations and a code of conduct that gives a baseline for respectful behavior. If there may be a conflict, consult with the people who might be affected and go through options and backup plans.
Have a code of conduct for your organization that includes accountability for bad-faith actions that cause harm. And then have an HR department that consistently and regularly applies that code of conduct.
For any apology that you have control over, make sure that it acknowledges responsibility, notes the damage that was done, and offers to repair that damage.
Make sure that there is actual follow-through on offers of repair. Otherwise, the rupture that was created by the damaging event will only get worse.
Hopefully, your workplace does not have employees regularly yelling out terrible racial slurs. However, it is highly likely that all kinds of events are not being as planned as well as they could be. And I guarantee that at least one person in your organization is being talked to and talked about disrespectfully.
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*This doesn’t include the in-group use of the word by Black people themselves. The other word, for people who don’t know, is usually called “the c-word” by speakers of US English. It is used quite differently in England and Australia, where it is not as taboo or powerfully negative.
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