The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the organization responsible for organizing the annual BAFTA Awards, has released its findings following an investigation into an incident that occurred at this year's ceremony that involved a racial slur.
At the 79th BAFTAs on Feb. 22, an audience member with Tourette syndrome -- Tourette syndrome activist John Davidson, who was the inspiration for and an executive producer of the film "I Swear" -- shouted a racial slur as "Sinners" stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage presenting the award for best visual effects.
The slur was included in the BBC broadcast of the event, which was on a two-hour tape delay. The BBC later apologized for not editing out the slur, saying it had since been removed from the online version of the ceremony on BBC iPlayer.
The results of an independent investigation into the incident, commissioned by BAFTA and executed by RISE Associates, a socially focused consultancy group, found "structural weaknesses in BAFTA's planning, escalation procedures and crisis coordination arrangements,'" the BAFTA Board of Trustees said in a press release Friday.
The investigation did not, however, find "malicious intent on the part of those involved in delivering the event," the board said.
In a summary of its report, included in Friday's press release, RISE Associates wrote that BAFTA "did not fully appreciate the nature of the risk associated with a live broadcast appearance, early warning signs were not escalated, and the absence of a clear operational command structure limited BAFTA's ability to respond effectively once the incident occurred."
"The incident also highlighted a broader challenge for organisations seeking to deliver inclusive public events: the need to balance accessibility for participants with the safety and dignity of others in the room and watching at home," Rise Associates wrote. "Inclusion planning must therefore consider not only the needs of an individual participant but also the wider context in which participation takes place."
The group concluded that while BAFTA "remains a respected institution with a strong commitment to inclusion and to the global creative community," and that it has implemented "wide-ranging reforms that have been introduced to improve diversity, inclusion and representation," those reforms "do not shield BAFTA from criticism."
"No institution sits above scrutiny. The nature of this incident justifies careful review," it wrote.
RISE Associates said it would be "wrong to describe the event as evidence of institutional racism, as this misses an important point." Instead, it said, the incident proved BAFTA's "planning and risk governance systems" had not "kept pace with its diversity goals."
"The issues identified in this review are therefore best understood not as a failure of intent, but as evidence that existing systems were not sufficiently robust for the complexity of a modern live broadcast environment," the group wrote. "With clearer structures, stronger communication practices and more comprehensive planning, similar risks can be significantly reduced in future."
In its press release Friday, BAFTA said it was already working to address the report's "specific areas of improvement" by improving its escalation process, adopting a "broader intersectional approach" to its event planning, and addressing any existing "cultural gaps or lack of knowledge that may prevent BAFTA from meeting its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion."
"We apologise unreservedly to the Black community, for whom the racist language used carries real pain, brutality, and trauma; to the disability community, including people with Tourette Syndrome, for whom this incident has led to unfair judgement, stigma, and distress; and to all our members, guests at the ceremony and those watching at home," the organization added.
The BBC this week also released findings from its own internal investigation into the incident, writing that the inclusion of the slur in its the broadcast "was highly offensive, had no editorial justification and represented a breach of the BBC's editorial standards," but was "unintentional."
The broadcaster said it is working to improve its "pre-event assessment" and response to any on-air incidents, adding that its chief content officer had sent apology letters to Lindo, Jordan and Davidson.
Tourette syndrome is a neurological condition that may cause involuntary movements and vocal tics, sometimes involving outbursts of inappropriate language, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Davidson shared a statement following this year's BAFTAs, confirming he left the ceremony early because he realized his tics were causing "distress" for others.
"I can only add that I am, and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning," Davidson said in part, adding, "I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette's community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so."
Speaking with Vanity Fair at BAFTA after-party on Feb. 22, Lindo addressed the incident, saying he and Jordan "did what we had to do" while presenting, but said he wished "someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterward" as well.
Later that month, at the NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 28, Lindo, who was presenting an award at the ceremony, thanked those who had supported the two actors in the aftermath of the incident.
"It's a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive," he added at the time.
ABC News has reached out to a representative for Davidson for comment on the BAFTA investigation findings.
