The wife of Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is demanding £30,000 of damages from a nursery they accused of discrimination.
After a joint investigation with the Daily Record and the Yousafs, watchdog the Care Inspectorate found that Little Scholars in Broughty Ferry “did not promote fairness, equality and respect” when offering placements.
In a probe sparked by Mr Yousaf’s wife Nadia El-Nakla, the nursery said it had no space available for three applicants who had ethnic, Muslim-sounding names, including the couple’s daughter Amal.
However, responding to fake inquiries from three mothers with non-ethnic names, the Dundee nursery said spaces were available.
The couple’s solicitor Aamer Anwar said a legal action against the nursery had been lodged on behalf of Nadia at Glasgow Sheriff Court alleging a contravention of the Equality Act.
He said: “My client has always been willing to discuss matters with the Nursery, but that has proved impossible. As long as the owners of the Nursery continue to ignore my client’s reasonable request for a public acknowledgement of the Care Inspectorate’s findings, and an apology for the hurt they caused my clients, then we remain instructed to pursue legal action.”
A spokesperson for Little Scholars accused the Yousafs of a “campaign” against us”.
She said: “We are saddened, but not wholly surprised, to learn legal proceedings have now been raised by Nadia El-Nakla with an astonishing claim for £30,000 in damages in a continuation of this campaign against us.
“They have previously demanded an apology but we cannot apologise for something we haven’t done - no matter the pressure applied to us - simply to halt what we feel has become a vendetta against a small nursery. We will therefore be robustly defending our staff and our business in any legal case which may arise.”
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