The WRC said the organisers failed in their obligation to provide reasonable accommodation for the teenager’s disabilityThe Workplace Relations Commission building in Lansdowne House, Dublin.

A promising young athlete who was sent home from a sports camp after organisers became aware she had a history of self-harm has been awarded €8,000 in compensation.

The Workplace Relations Commission ruled that the organisers of the sports camp had discriminated against the 15-year-old girl on grounds of disability in breach of the Equal Status Act 2000.

The WRC said they had failed in their obligation to provide reasonable accommodation for the teenager’s disability.

Although the organisers of the summer camp – who were not identified to protect the identity of the girl – were aware of the complaint, they did not attend a hearing of the case before the WRC.

Sign up to our new Crime Ireland newsletter and get exclusive content from Michael O’Toole and Paul Healy

The Irish Mirror’s Crime Writers Michael O’Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week

The girl’s mother – known only as Ms A – told the WRC that her daughter had attended the residential sports camp in August 2024 at a time she had finished her therapy sessions in November 2023.

Ms A said she had not told the organisers about her daughter’s mental health difficulties when applying for a place at the camp as she felt there was no need to mention them.

While her daughter had some new cuts in May 2024, Ms A said her therapist had concluded that there was no urgent need to see the teenager at the time.

Ms A said she did not disclose about the scars which were still visible in August 2024 when the camp started as it was not an issue at the time.

The WRC heard that the girl told her mother on the second day of the sports camp that the meals being provided were inadequate and her parents dropped some food off for her.

Ms A said she e-mailed the organisers of that camp that evening to raise her concerns about the food as participants were only being given cereal or toast for breakfast, while lunch consisted of a pre-packed sandwich and crisps.

She also pointed out that there was an eight-hour gap before dinner was served at 9pm which she claimed was inadequate.

Ms A said she also repeatedly stressed that her complaint was not to be discussed with her daughter.

However, she claimed that two male coaches in direct conflict with her instructions took her daughter aside to talk about the complaint her mother had made about the food.

Ms A said her daughter subsequently told her how she had felt uncomfortable about being taken aside by the coaches.

She told the WRC that one of the coaches became emotionally elevated in a phone call to her on August 13, 2024 in which he pointed out that he had seen the self-harm scars on her daughter.

Ms A said the coach ordered that her daughter should be removed immediately from the camp over her failure to tell the organisers that the teenager had a history of self-harm.

She claimed he also threatened to take legal action against her for not disclosing details about her daughter’s mental health history.

Ms A said the coach had also remarked that the camp was not a 5-star hotel where they would be making scrambled eggs for her daughter every morning.

Ms A said she was shocked and upset by the call during which the coach had accused her of neglect and bad parenting for leaving her daughter in the camp.

She told the WRC that no attempts were made to provide reasonable accommodation for her daughter and no assessments were made of how her disability would impact her ability to participate in the sports camp.

Ms A said there was no indication at any time that her daughter posed a risk to herself or others or that her mental health history made her unsuitable to take part in the sports camp.

She pointed out that the coach had texted her early on August 13, 2024 that her daughter was “happy and relaxed.”

The WRC heard that the sports camp had agreed to a request for a refund but the money had not been paid back after the teenager was ordered to be removed from the camp later that day.

Ms A said her daughter had become very distressed by what happened and it had affected her self-esteem and confidence.

She said her daughter had previously been taught that it was OK to let her scars be seen but she now tried to hide them since her experience at the sports camp as she was afraid she would be judged by people.

WRC adjudication officer, Orla Jones, said Ms A came across as “very consistent and honest” and noted she was motivated to take the case to show her daughter that the way she was treated was not right.

Ms Jones said she was satisfied that the complainant had established a prima facie case of discrimination on grounds of disability.

She ordered the organisers of the sports camp to pay compensation of €8,000 which Ms Jones fixed as a sum that would be “proportionate and dissuasive.”

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.