East London firefighter, 21, killed himself after being ‘bullied and discriminated against’ at work

The family of an East London firefighter who took his own life has said that he was being discriminated against for being black despite his fire station not being aware of any concerns.

Jaden Francois-Esprit, 21, died at his home in Brewhouse Lane, Wapping, East London, on August 26, 2020.

His mother, Linda Francois, told an inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, February 9 that her son was being “unfavourably singled out because he’s an ethnic minority” at Wembley fire station, where he was training as a firefighter.

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Giving live evidence by videolink, Daniel Johnson, LFB’s station commander at Wembley, said most of his interactions with Mr Francois-Esprit were in passing, but that he spoke to him during his nine-month probation meeting at the end of July.

Mr Johnson said: “He was exactly where I expected him to be, he was doing well from what I have seen.

“He said everything was fine, he’s quite a quiet-spoken guy, very polite, smiling a lot.”

When asked by senior coroner Mary Hassell whether he had concerns about Mr Francois-Esprit’s personal wellbeing, he said: “None at all.”

He told the inquest that he knew Mr Francois-Esprit’s stepfather, David Reid, as they worked together at LFB for 10 to 15 years.

He said Mr Reid called him before Mr Francois-Esprit’s probation meeting, with concerns about his progress and his dyslexia.

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Mr Johnson said he raised these concerns with the watch managers at the time – naming one as Neil Cash – and added: “I was content that they would be more than able to deal with what we discussed.”

Mr Johnson said he received another call from Mr Reid on August 18 and assured him of what he had done and that Mr Francois-Esprit was progressing well.

On claims that Mr Francois-Esprit was being picked on at the station, Mr Johnson said: “I have never heard of any incidents of him being picked on, bullied or singled out.

“Everything I’d seen gave me the indication that the watch is well run and well managed and bonds well together.”

When asked whether he was aware Mr Francois-Esprit had submitted a learning support application, Mr Johnson replied: “No I was not.”

You don’t have to suffer in silence if you’re struggling with your mental health. Here are some groups you can contact when you need help.

Samaritans: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, or email [email protected], in confidence

Childline: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won’t show up on your bill

PAPYRUS: A voluntary organisation supporting suicidal teens and young adults. Phone 0800 068 4141

Depression Alliance: A charity for people with depression. No helpline but offers useful resources and links to other information

Students Against Depression: A website for students who are depressed, have low mood, or are suicidal. Click here to visit

Bullying UK: A website for both children and adults affected by bullying. Click here

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For young men who are feeling unhappy. Has a website and a helpline: 0800 58 58 58

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The inquest heard the Wembley green watch had about 22 members at the time and Mr Francois-Esprit was the youngest fireman.

He had made 16 transfer requests to four different stations in London between February and August 2020, barrister Brian Cummins, representing the family, told the court.

Ben Robinson, a fireman on the Wembley green watch, said Mr Francois-Esprit had asked other members for help with training, particularly in the first couple of months when he joined in late 2019.

When asked about Mr Francois-Esprit being singled out for his age or race, Mr Robinson said: “I didn’t notice that at all.

“I had been the newest recruit before him, and anything that needed doing about the station, or that was needed to be done by someone who probably hadn’t done it before, I would always get asked.

“The majority of the time it would be me and Jaden being asked to do things.”

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When asked whether he saw any signs of bullying, he said: “One hundred per cent no.

“He was never excluded, he was 100% part of the team.”

He told the court there were three other black firemen on the watch.

Mr Robinson was asked by Mr Cummins whether he recalled comments made by members of the watch about Mr Francois-Esprit’s food, such as “rice and peas” or “chicken and rice”, to which he replied: “No, not at all.”

In a statement read out in court, Mr Francois-Esprit’s mother said: “I felt he was being unfavourably singled out because he’s an ethnic minority.”

She described one occasion where he did not want his mother taking him home-cooked Caribbean food as he “felt uncomfortable” talking about it to colleagues.

The cause of Mr Francois-Esprit’s death was recorded as suspension.

The inquest was adjourned until Monday February 15 to continue at St Pancras Coroner’s Court.

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