Swiss Private Equity Fund Displayed Photo of Staff in Blackface for Eight Years

Partners Group Holding AG, accused of racial discrimination in a U.K. lawsuit, held a party at its Swiss headquarters where employees dressed up as nuns in blackface and then displayed a photo of them for about eight years.

The image was disclosed at a London tribunal by a Black ex-employee who’s suing the firm, one of Europe’s largest private funds, for racial discrimination and harassment. The picture depicts two White male employees dressed as nuns with painted faces, according to her witness statement prepared for the hearing. She said she believed the incident to be “reflective of the true character and culture” of Partners.