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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think my daughter should not have been branded a racist?

198 replies

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 20:42

I'm really not sure what you're all going to say...
My DD is 13 and has a diagnosis for ADHD and also for ASD.
She struggles in school, with her anger and in social situations but we are getting there and she is improving.
Unfortunately, because she is loud and can display inappropriate behaviour, she is always the first one the teacher notices and tells off or blames.
She is used to this now and kind of just accepts it most of the time!
She is very literal and will often refuse to talk to a teacher because she looks like a thumb, laugh at a teachers name that sounds like her favourite ice cream. So she can be immature.
Today in school a girl started taunting her saying she (dd) had problems and saying 'so glad I've not got your problems though' and pulling a face to insinuate she had learning difficulties (iyswim) whilst others laughed. So my Dd jumped up and said "well you're ugly with a squashed nose and you look like a monkey!'
This girl is mixed race (i know this because her mum is known in my town and she is mixed race) and reported a racial attack to the teacher and as a consequence, my daughter was told her behaviour was disgusting and excluded
I only found out when I'd finished work because the school called my parents, who collected her from school and they left me a voicemail.
I've been to the school and the head teacher basically said that the girls family are feuding with another family, it's become quite serious and they think my DD was goaded to make a racial comment to this girl. They also said that they removed her from the situation to protect her getting into further trouble and also the girls mother reports every racial abuse to the police and I'd have them knocking at my door if he hadn't of diffused the situation. This girls mother is coming to the school on Thursday with a solicitor to demand all kinds (not about todays situation) the head basically said any row or anything said to her dd results in racial accusations so I know there is lots going on.
My dd is adamant she wasn't goaded and says that she does look like a monkey and that's why she said it.
My dd's half brother is mixed race as are her cousins, we are not a racist family. I'm so upset that the school have publicly excluded her for racial comments, that they had to call this mother and say that she had been removed and that nothing was said to the girl or her mum about what she had said.
What about the comments she was making to my dd? Why aren't they equally as damaging? My dd has no self esteem, she has self harmed many times, the amount of effort to even get her to school is enough, but to deal with this aswell? She has been doing amazing lately.
The school have said they will have her back tomorrow but she is so upset. It took her 10 minutes to even get in the car because she was having a meltdown on the pavement outside of school. In her eyes, the girl said something bad so dd said something back.
I feel so sorry for her, she is 100% not racist but she as been branded one.
She very openly admits calling her a name and says "she knows it is naughty but it wasn't because of who her mum is and she said bad things to me that I can't help and she knows she has to be told off"
It's heartbreaking for me to see her not understand and I don't think the school have protected her.
Aibu?

OP posts:
LadyLuck10 · 25/11/2014 20:59

The other girl should have been dealt with as well.
Your dd was being racist though, and she even confirms it herself.

ApocalypseThen · 25/11/2014 20:59

It seems peculiar that youaintain that your daughter is not a racist and doesn't really understand yet when she was lashing out to defend herself from the comments if the other child, she managed to hit on typical racial tropes. That's something to consider, perhaps.

However, I think there were clearly two little madams in it and you need to know what the school are doing to protect your child from the abuse she got as well.

Alisvolatpropiis · 25/11/2014 21:00

I'd go again then op.

Yes it is fair that your daughter is punished but the other girl should be too and that isn't being done.

That is unfair.

Funkytown · 25/11/2014 21:01

thereis no i didn't miss the part she asked if it was unreasonable that her daughter was being branded racist when infact she was making racist comments and i pointed out that it was racist what was said to the other girl
i understand that the other girl was making fun of her in the first place.

niki does it matter if she is black , mixed race or anything else it was a rude racist comment end of. of course it isn't your daughters fault for having learning difficulties but it still doesn't make it ok

IAmNotAPrincessIAmAKahleesi · 25/11/2014 21:02

Both girls were in the wrong

It is absolutely not ok for your dd to be made fun of for her disabilities, and yes you should chase that up

But your dd was racist. Maybe she herself is not racist but that doesn't make what she said ok

CatsCantTwerk · 25/11/2014 21:02

I'm sure Ive read this already Confused

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 21:03

Neither boomtownsurprise, she says she looks like a monkey! That's it, the same reason she does t like my friend because his eyes move before his head or that a teacher has a face like a thumb.
I've explained to her tonight that this can be seen as racism, she did t know!
Her comment was 'so what if someone has a long neck, can I say it's like a giraffe?'
I spend hours trying to educate her about what's right or wrong!
The fact that we can call each other hen or duck but pig or cow isn't acceptable...

OP posts:
Fabulous46 · 25/11/2014 21:04

I'm disgusted a Headteacher was basically gossiping about another parent to you by divulging confidential information. I would deem the comments your daughter made as racist. Take everything else out of the equation re the other child's mother and feuds etc. What your daughter said re monkey and squashed nose was racist in my view and totally inappropriate.

ThereIsACarInTheKitchen · 25/11/2014 21:04

CatsCantTwerk there is a very similar thread running.

ThereIsACarInTheKitchen · 25/11/2014 21:05

So basically racism is not okay, but disablism is perfectly fine?

MrsPiggie · 25/11/2014 21:06

No idea if ASD means she can't tell right from wrong. But the comment was racist, sorry. The other girl should have been punished as well. Have you actually reported her to the school ?

Tinkerball · 25/11/2014 21:08

I think some posters are giving you a very hard time, as I understand it she may just be saying it because that's what she thought this other girl looked like.

crumblebumblebee · 25/11/2014 21:09

YABU, she hasn't been 'branded' anything, she made a racist comment. However, the other girl was being disablist and should also be suitably punished. Both girls were wrong, no excuses.

GertrudeBrisket · 25/11/2014 21:09

Telling a black person that they look like a monkey is incredibly racist and offensive. I can't believe you are trying to justify this.

Funkytown · 25/11/2014 21:09

no of course it isn't thereisa but what I'm trying to say is the op has said my daughter said this ..... she has low self-esteem so its not fair for them to exclude her even tho she knew it was naughty to say what she said and she told me herself that she knew it was the wrong thing to do.

what the other girl said is also disgusting and if i was the op i would be going down the school to speak about what was said to my daughter but it still doesn't make it ok 2 wrongs don't make a right

WorraLiberty · 25/11/2014 21:10

Your DD did make a racist comment

The other girl needs punishing too for her comment to you DD, so you will have to fight for that to happen by the sound of it.

I'm utterly shocked at the school spilling confidential information to you, about the other parent.

ThereIsACarInTheKitchen · 25/11/2014 21:11

no of course it isn't thereisa

Could have fooled me.

Funkytown · 25/11/2014 21:11

thereisa what is your point

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 21:11

ive been in to the school, I was so upset.
I am very fair and never choose to take the easy way out.
My daughter has on,y recently (last 12 months) been diagnosed, the fact she has got so far is because of my parenting. I am aware she has to function in society as an adult so she has to learn how to act appropriately.
My point is, she should have had the chance to learn from this in a less damaging way and the girl should also have the same.
Maybe she doesn't understand my dd's disabilities.
But this hasn't been dealt with fairly.

OP posts:
ThereIsACarInTheKitchen · 25/11/2014 21:11

Why was me second post in this thread deleted? Confused

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 21:12

Gertrdebrisket she isn't black

OP posts:
usualsuspect333 · 25/11/2014 21:14

No idea, what did you say?

I can't recall you saying anything worthy of deletion?

Fabulous46 · 25/11/2014 21:15

I'm utterly shocked at the school spilling confidential information to you, about the other parent

^^This is the part I can't understand and no other poster except for Worra and myself have addressed. Why the hell did the school divulge confidential information about another parent?

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 21:15

Tinkerbellthankyou, that's my point!
I've tried to explain it to her, the difference between calling someone a monkey, dog, cow, duck, chicken.....all animals but all so different.
She knows about cow and pig because that has cropped up in the past.
I just they they over reacted with her, not protected her.
And yes, the whole school know about it.

OP posts:
cheesecakemom · 25/11/2014 21:16

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.