Racing steward tells: I’ve been sacked three times because I’m gay

A high profile racing identity is taking his ex-employer to Fair Work Australia after he says he was sacked for being gay — the third time in a row he says this has happened in his career.

Steven Shinn was a champion harness racing driver, winning the Kilmore Cup in 1976 and racing across North America, before downing reigns to become a steward.

However in November he was fired by Racing & Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) over what they deemed performance issues after he stood down a fellow steward when a disagreement over rules got out of hand.

The same steward made an offensive language complaint against Shinn, and the matter became the subject of an RWWA internal inquiry and Shinn’s contract was terminated.

Shinn told the Star Observer he was not allowed to appeal the decision, question witnesses or present evidence of his own.

More than 100 Australian racing identities have since signed a petition calling on RWWA to grant Shinn another hearing.

Shinn said he made the RWWA aware of his sexuality from the start. He says previous employers made him redundant after it became known in the job.

But when he arrived to take up the job in WA he found that a false rumour that he had been fired in South Australia because his boss had caught him naked with his boyfriend was already circulating.

Two months after his sacking he learned an ex-colleague had made a complaint against another steward for making comments about Shinn’s sexuality.

“In his words, the comments were so disgusting it made him feel physically ill,” Shinn told the Star Observer.

That complaint was dismissed on grounds of insufficient evidence. However, Shinn claims he has learned that RWWA stewards were required to undergo sensitivity training in the meantime.

Shinn said his lawyers were confident they could win the case without discussing motive, but he decided to go public to raise the issue of covert discrimination in employment where other reasons were used to sack a person disliked because of their sexuality.

“If this can happen to me how many people without my profile must it have happened to?” Shinn asked.

“I’ve got a pretty strong character, but there must be guys who’ve become alcoholics or killed themselves after things like this.”

The RWWA has denied Shinn’s characterisation of events and says it has had a workplace policy covering sexuality discrimination since 2000.

It also denies that stewards have been given sensitivity training.