To think Paris Brown should be sacked at once!

[seeminglyso]

What lessons otherwise are we sending to teenagers!

[crossparsley]

It doesn't come from the Latin for magpie and your hilarious explanation for why it does could well be considered highly offensive. Pike (and related turnpike, etc) is a very old word connected to roads and travelling, which has lasted longer in the US than here. Since in the UK "pikey" is now almost only used uncharitably, and against the clear objections of those to whom it's applied, then the only defence for using it is ignorance of those objections. I hope someone has managed to explain to this young woman why it's not on.

I don't think it's on to comment on her appearance.

[Bridgetbidet]

She's a teenager. She did the type of silly thing teenagers do. She's not Hitler, she's not sending 'pikeys' to gas chambers. Christ, the poor girl. She's been public branded a racist and homophobe for life for something she did whilst still a child.

Honestly, these type of witch hunts are more and more common, but this one is someone who is barely more than a child and the actions she is being criticised for took place when she WAS a child (2011) people persecuting her for this are more bloody evil than a child who came out with a few stupid comments in my opinion.

But we live in a world now where if you don't tow party line all the time you'll be persecuted. Even if you are a child. Didn't even Stalin draw the line at persecuting children or did the go to gulags too?

[Tethering]

She has to resign and actually they are doing her a disservice to let her remain in the post. She will be hounded.

Despite her completely objectionable views, she is still a vulnerable teen and the people that appointed her should have checked her online persona before choosing her. She let herself down and they've let her down by letting her remain in the post.

As for the 'pikey' debate, it is a racist term and just as offensive as all the other racist terms. Sadly, being bigoted against travellers seems to be one of the last forms of acceptable racism.

[Chelvis]

I used to work with teens and no, I don't think she is representative - certainly not with the racist comments. Using the word 'gay' to mean bad, whilst unacceptable, I would forgive her for, because it's in such wide useage among teens that she could reasonably think it's acceptable .... the word fag though is another thing, that's very nasty.

I know so many bright, insightful, positive teens, some of them from pretty terrible backgrounds - why not one of them? She surely cannot have been the best applicant?????!

[AmberLeaf]

Oh, and I don't think I know a single person who doesn't use the word pikey when referring to the travelling community. This word is used across all generations and is one of the more polite words used. Just telling it how it is

What delightful company you must keep.

[BalloonSlayer]

Oh, and I don't think I know a single person who doesn't use the word pikey when referring to the travelling community. This word is used across all generations and is one of the more polite words used. Just telling it how it is

Hello, my name is Balloonslayer, and now you know me, and I would never use that word.

It is considered extremely racist and offensive by the travellers I know.

[secretscwirrels]

This makes me furious. This person is in a position to be a role model for teenagers, if she is allowed to keep her job what message does that send.
The recruitment process for a position which was going to be very high profile was clearly very flawed to have not picked up on this.

[ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmmmmmmmmm]

Have all the haters on this thread actually ever sat near a group of 16- 17 year olds in McDonalds, and listened to them ? Not generally a particularly uplifting experience...........

[K8Middleton]

Erm because Ann Barnes is a woman in her late 60s and not a teenager maybe Wiley? Any way you miss my point, which was in response to the criticism of Ms Barnes. As it happens I haven't formed an opinion on whether the role Paris Brown was going to do is needed. I just don't think it's fair to tar Ms Barnes with the same brush as PB or criticise her for standing by her - I don't see how she can't.

I expect behind the scenes PB is being urged to resign. I think that's the best course of action in the circumstances.

[CalamityKate]

What a revolting little creature she is. Of course she should be sacked. Horrid.

[Feminine]

thingsthat

I am in the lucky position of having a teen myself , and having teen siblings!

I haven't heard them talk in the way Paris tweeted...and they post some things.

I do get what you are saying, but she comes across as a rather special breed of madam IMO.

[MrsMelons]

At first I thought we shouldn't really judge people on things they have said at age 14 etc but actually as horrible a teenager as I was I was not rascist etc or would not have publically said some of those things (its quite hard to judge as FB and twitter weren't around then).

I am now not 100% sure I feel that way as it wasn't really that long ago but if she really is not like that now why not give her the opportunity to prove herself.

I in two minds TBH but am surprised they did not check her FB and twitter accounts first, I always do when I employ someone!

[EldritchCleavage]

Well, it isn't just about using the word pikey is it? One of the tweets (a recent one, as far as I know) joked about how she became racist and various other things when she was drunk. She thinks acting racist is funny? How on earth is she going to have credibility as a liaison between police and young people with that attitude?

[MrsMelons]

Just to add, I never knew pikey was racist before MN as round here it is used quite a lot and not towards travellers. Chav is also used a lot but they are both used in jest really. I must say I don't really use terms like those unless it was a joke to a close friend, she says I am a chav for using Asda, she shops in Waitrose. I never thought anything of it but I am very aware of it now of course.

14 year olds use words even if they don't know what they mean or how offensive they are. I have heard 5 YOs calling each other gay and when quizzed they have no idea what it actually means!

[MrsMelons]

I have googled a bit more about her, I am definitely not sure - she doesn't come across that well.

[janey68]

The comments about posters being 'haters' on some kind of McCarthy witch hunt are over egging it a tad- I don't hate the girl, I just think she's a pathetic and not very bright person who's made some bloody awful remarks and now needs to have the balls to stand down and let someone else do the job. If its a job which is going to be of any value

[EldritchCleavage]

Riiight, ok.

Repost that bilge replacing 'pikey' with 'nigger' or 'Paki' or 'Jew'. Still happy with your post?

[AmberLeaf]

I went to school with and lived near Travellers. [still live near some now]

I disagree with you wholeheartedly.

I would never use the term pikey for the same reasons I wouldn't use the term nigger or paki.

No mock indignation here.

[AmberLeaf]

Eldritch, doesbuggerall probably would be as happy to use those terms.

[thebody]

What I don't get is that her posts on drug taking and getting drunk are 'old'!!!! She's only a kid now? So was she drunk at 14? Ye gods.

[gabsid]

They said her comments were 'out of context'. I can't think of any context those comments would not be really terrible. And I didn't see it as an apology but only an excuse. I believe she has lost her credibility and if they still imployed her without thorough investigation of her character then it sends out the message that it is OK to say stuff like that.

True, they need somebody who can interact with young people. True, young people make mistakes (and old people) and say stupid stuff but such attitudes cannot be tolerated in anyone.

[TheOriginalSteamingNit]

It's upsetting and wrong and extremely problematic to suggest this is just 'normal teenage behaviour'. There are some racist horrible teenagers, of course, but it's not right to suggest this is normal behaviour.

There are plenty of lovely, bright, non-racist teenagers out there: I think she needs to be sacked in favour of one of them.

[paintyourbox]

I am all for second chances but her actions were racist/homophobic/irresponsible.

Everyone says stupid things, I know I did when I was a teenager: " I hate yooooou, no one understands meeeee," etc but there's a line that's been crossed in this situation.

I was brought up to recognise that we are all equal regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation. Making comments to suggest otherwise would never, ever have been tolerated.

And yeah, some of today's teens do talk about shocking subjects but I have never heard any racism or homosexuality from the teens in the town where I live.