Beattie Communications: Owner reportedly quits over 'company doesn’t recruit blacks, gays or Catholics' LinkedIn message

It is understood Gordon Beattie has quit Beattie Communications over 'tone deaf' LinkedIn message picture: supplied

Gordon Beattie, founder of Beattie Communications, originally posted the message on the social media page on Friday, but was forced to delete it after the language used sparked an outrage.

Industry experts hit out at the post saying it was “deliberately controversial” and anti-racism campaigners described it as “tone deaf” and “insensitive”.

Mr Beattie has since reportedly quit over the uproar caused by his message after admitting that the language was “inappropriate” and apologising for the offence it caused.

The original post on LinkedIn read: “At Beattie Communications, we don’t hire blacks, gays or Catholics. We hire talented people and we don’t care about the colour of their skin, sexual orientation or religion.

“That’s the way it should be with every company - only hire people for their talent, experience, knowledge and wisdom. We hire people we like, trust and admire and recruit people who have the potential to be better than us.”

Barrington Reeves, founder of Black Lives Matters Scotland and the Black Scottish Business Fund, is reported to have described the post as “tone deaf, insensitive, racist, homophobic and utterly unacceptable”.

Beattie formerly worked as a freelance journalist in Lanarkshire before building his PR firm. The company has six UK offices, four in Canada, and around 100 people work for the international business.

In a post after he deleted the original message Mr Beattie said: “I issued a post on LinkedIn to highlight the fact that when we recruit, Beattie Communications does not discriminate.

“It was posted with the best of intent but I have now removed it because the language I used has caused offence and for that, I am deeply sorry.”

Beattie Communications chief executive Laura Woods said Mr Beattie is not prejudiced, but the message was “reckless” and “out of touch”, according to the BBC.

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