A construction worker who was tossed off the Island has filed a writ against the Minister of Labour, Home Affairs and Public Safety.

Canadian Curtis Macleod’s work permit was revoked after he was involved in an argument with union organiser and PLP MP George Scott. He is appealing the decision to the Supreme Court on the grounds that he did not get a fair hearing and Minister of Labour’s decision was not just.

Mr. Macleod was the foreman on a Global Construction site when he was involved in an argument with Mr. Scott.

It is alleged words such as “racist”, “ignorant” and “uneducated” were used and Mr. Scott’s children also insulted by Mr. Macleod, who denies saying anything about the children. He also denied knowing that Mr. Scott was a Bermuda Industrial Union representative or MP.

Mr. Macleod, who is black, admitted “losing his cool” and shouting at the MP after asking him to leave the property three times. He said the MP told him: “You are not from here and you don’t know what it is like to be a black Bermudian. You do not know what it is like to be a black man. You are a black man with a white man’s heart.”

Mr. Scott denied making those comments but admitted saying: “You do not know who I am, but I will see you off this Island.”

He said that the disrespect shown to him by Mr. Macleod justified the deportation.

Later, he added that he had received numerous complaints about Mr. Macleod’s behaviour for several months prior to his argument with the Canadian.

However, Mr. Macleod was never made aware of these complaints until after his permit was revoked and his appeal to the Cabinet Tribunal was rejected.

His lawyer, Richard Horseman, said they were appealing the decision to the Supreme Court because Mr. Macleod did not know the full case against him.