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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:
ghostspirit · 25/11/2014 21:53

how is your dd know op. im just thinking does this give a message to your dd that its ok for her to be bullied. and theres nothing she can do about it because she will get punished for it.

and gives a message to the other girl that she can get away with what she wants

Tinkerball · 25/11/2014 21:54

Gertrude I'm not trying to justify anything do get off your high horse, I just meant I know people with Aspergers who describe things literally as they see it, within concept of racism.

Tammy1212 · 25/11/2014 21:57

Ok firstly the fact your friends dogs brother cousin is black is irrelevant racist always have a black family member to justify their behaviour. Old excuse in the book.
Your daughter saying she looked like a monkey was the racist comment
The ugly n squash nose was just rude
See the difference?
You should educate your daughter the fact she has these problems is irrelevant again you're trying to justify her behaviour. My best friend is white and has those problems but she never comes out with stuff like that.

ghostspirit · 25/11/2014 21:57

maybe its time someone started reporting the girls mother. if she starts a personal attack on you then report it. maybe the police will see a pattern emerging.

feel sort of sorry for the other girl if thats how her mum is showing thats a good way to live life :/

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 21:58

This family are apparently dangerous.
The mother has turned up at school waiting for children.
I think this is why it has been dealt with this way but this isn't right and I do t know what to do.
My dd is upset, she knows she did wrong and even more so now, she also says she is scared incase this girl says anything more to her and she can't stop herself from saying stuff back. She is very very adhd and can't keep anything in her mouth...it's almost like Tourette's at times, she is honest about it and knows her difficulties.
I just do t want to fail her.

OP posts:
PrettyBelle · 25/11/2014 21:59

OK, I am not mixed race and may not appreciate the way some comments may be perceived. But I believe that if "a squashed nose" is a racist notion then basically all elements of appearance should be treated as a sensitive subject. I have a hump on my nose, my mum and granddad both had it, which is probably a result of some mixed blood. Should I take offence if were a child and my peers commented on it?

My son wears glasses and has a stutter. So far there haven't been any issues with name-calling in his school but if someone does say something "oh so funny" about him I know he will take it very badly. Would it be "more ok" because such comments would not be racist?

My daughter is sometimes called a monkey and she is a natural blonde with blue eyes.

I feel really wary now of the upcoming senior school years for my DCs, looks like they better shut up around some students as to not to get into trouble.

usualsuspect333 · 25/11/2014 22:01

She is trying to educate her DD, have you actually read the thread?

Hulababy · 25/11/2014 22:01

Tammy1212 Tue 25-Nov-14 21:57:22 Ok firstly the fact your friends dogs brother cousin is black is irrelevant racist

That seems somewhat unfair, especially as it is the child's brother who is mixed race.

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 22:02

Tammy, she knows she called her names and will take the blame for that.
She didn't know the racial undertones in the monkey comment.
She does now and is more upset.
My point is, how can she be accused of racism if she didn't see the relationship prior to this happening.
And also, this girl has not been punished for calling dd a spaz when she has disabilities.

OP posts:
ghostspirit · 25/11/2014 22:02

omg if the mother is turning up waiting for children the school should be calling the police. I would be worried about the running of the school.

usualsuspect333 · 25/11/2014 22:03

That was to Tammy.

Tinkerball · 25/11/2014 22:04

With no concept of racism I meant.

Tammy1212 · 25/11/2014 22:04

The reason the school are not taking into account the other girls is because what she was born doesnt have a long history of abuse.
ANYONE can have problems
"Monkey" is only reference to black people and has been used to abuse for century's
Get it?
The other girls was a butch but your daughter is racist.

Fabulous46 · 25/11/2014 22:05

The school said the parents would start a personal attack on me (I live alone with dd and am worried)

Sorry, do not think ANY school would have said that. However if they did then you need to go to the Board of whoever (I'm in Scotland and have no idea how it works anywhere else). Saying that is totally inappropriate about another parent in the school.

slithytove · 25/11/2014 22:05

It wouldn't be racist if she said it to a white person, I really don't see how it being said to a person with Chinese origins makes it racist. Black yes. And pp keep mentioning black footballers etc.

But this child isn't black.

Tammy1212 · 25/11/2014 22:06

I was being sarCaustic

Stupid iPhone sorry abouT spelling

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 22:06

Ta my she isn't black

OP posts:
ThereIsACarInTheKitchen · 25/11/2014 22:07

Well I have completely lost track of the thread now.

I am very Hmm over how many people seem to think disablist comments are okay but whatever.

ghostspirit · 25/11/2014 22:07

seems its all been blown out of proportion because the school are scared of the parents

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 22:07

Tammy she isn't black

OP posts:
Tinkerball · 25/11/2014 22:08

Tammy do you have any understanding of ASD at all? It's not irrelevant if it has caused her to make a comment that had caused offence but she doesn't understand is offensive because of her condition! How is that irrelevant?

slithytove · 25/11/2014 22:08

Are you thinking straight Tammy?

op's daughter calling names doesn't negate what the other child did.

Being called a spaz is terrible and shouldn't be tolerated. Something doesn't need to have a long history to be unacceptable.

Nikinakin00 · 25/11/2014 22:08

fabulous, yes they did! Infact they described their family as dangerous.

OP posts:
Hulababy · 25/11/2014 22:08

So, Tammy...

It is okay for the child to use disablist language to the OP's child?
That is acceptable and doesn't need punishing?

Surely the other child should also be excluded for their offensive language, which was INTENDED to cause upset. No?

ThereIsACarInTheKitchen · 25/11/2014 22:09

The reason the school are not taking into account the other girls is because what she was born doesnt have a long history of abuse.

So?