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AIBU?

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Original poster

To report colleague for racist comments

193 replies

Redorangesblue · 17/02/2020 13:16

I don’t want to be classed as a tell tale as I know this never goes down well and I’ve already reported one other person for racist comments before. I feel like I take things too personally and maybe I should put up and shut up and stop rocking the boat.

We work in a healthcare setting and this person has made several racist comments about China and Chinese people and the corona virus and telling a very blatant personal story about how they’ve asked to be move away from Chinese people in a public place.

I feel it’s inappropriate to say these things in a work place. Whatever your personal thoughts about different people, they should not be shared when you’re at work. Just for context this person isn’t English/British. They’re Eastern European.

OP posts:
MilesEdgeworth · 17/02/2020 18:01

Thank God @Avelinebread 's racist post was finally deleted. I know this is a busy site and I'm sure the mods are doing as best they can, but maybe more mods are needed if racist posts are allowed to stand for 2 hours in the daytime.

Lordfrontpaw · 17/02/2020 18:08

I have found that some countries are incredibly blunt - the Dutch for example are ones for ‘telling it straight’ - my Spanish friend married to a Dutch man told me, and the husband agrees they the Dutch don’t sugar coat). Not a bad thing but he can be increasingly blunt.

Maybe that why the OP mentioned it.

I had a polish mum (from a toddler club) that I bumped into in a toy shop follow me around the store loudly asking why I only had one child - I needed another one - one was dreadful - big mistake - he would grow up sad - I really needed more children, it was cruel to have one - when I got old and sick and died what would be do?, etc. I put that down to cultural bluntness too (I’ve not had it to my face before or since).

GenderIsBollox · 17/02/2020 18:09

Well I hope the feel good, woke points, you think you've scored for reporting someone's concerns about the virus makes you feel justified that they will have an HR record or possibly loose their job....until the Gestapo comes for you, because it will come for everyone eventually, if no one is allowed to voice their opinions/concerns for fear of offending, however clumsily. Going behind their back and reporting them, risking their job because you don't like someone's opinion but is too much of a coward to challenge at the time, is not the way to do it.

Lordfrontpaw · 17/02/2020 18:09

And I’m Scottish so have a habit of opening my big gob and blurting things out - or oversharing.

youknowitmakessensedunnit · 17/02/2020 18:18

it isn't racist if it's a fact - standing next to someone whos just come from mainland China at the moment makes you more likely to catch Coronavirus

Gilead · 17/02/2020 18:20

Ffs, when did calling out racism become woke? When did it become snitching, or so acceptable that you’re compared with Nazis for questioning it. This is fucking scary.

ilovesooty · 17/02/2020 18:23

I think it's pretty disturbing to see someone considering reporting concerns about racism in the workplace referred to as the Gestapo.

IrmaFayLear · 17/02/2020 18:24

How about the OP "be kind" to this person? Does "be kind" qualify in this instance?

MintyMabel · 17/02/2020 18:32

The only reason I wrote the person’s place of origin is because they’re not British and there are a lot of social stereotypes that can be associated with where they’re from.

Not providing any more context there. A person is either being racist or they aren’t.

Whatisthisfuckery · 17/02/2020 18:40

I would be telling this individual that if they want to stay away from Chinese people then go ahead, but not to spout racist bs.

At the weekend we were in town and tour bus full of Chinese looking people went past. DS said, ‘oh look, there’s a bus full of corona virus.’ I told him he was being racist for suggesting people had CV just because they are Chinese, and to not make stupid not funny racist jokes like that again.

MilesEdgeworth · 17/02/2020 18:40

I think it's pretty disturbing to see someone considering reporting concerns about racism in the workplace referred to as the Gestapo.
This with bells on. Some people seem to want not just freedom of speech but also freedom from consequences and accountability.

Lordfrontpaw · 17/02/2020 19:05

I asked DS I’d his school had warned them about the virus and what they suggested to try to avoid it.

‘Not be racist’ he said. I asked if they told him anything practical ‘wash your hands’.

ChinookPilotsGoVertical · 17/02/2020 19:05

"Report, report, reepoort" like a load of histrionic daleks.
Don't go running for a grown up, challenge it yourself.

MangoFeverDream · 17/02/2020 19:29

Not providing any more context there. A person is either being racist or they aren’t

I find Eastern Europeans quite blunt so it often is perceived as rude or racist to those not used to it. She should know the local culture better tbh but still not racist

PhilSwagielka · 17/02/2020 19:31

'Be kind', my fucking arse.

I had to deal with anti-Semitic comments at work, I reported them, nothing happened. And they were aimed at me, but I suppose being angry about being accused of killing Jesus and not being a real Jew and blah blah blah is just being woke and I should have kept my head down like a good little girl.

PinkiOcelot · 17/02/2020 19:49

What are the racist comments made?! Without that, it’s a bit hard to say.

Personally, I don’t think that worrying about contracting a deadly disease is racism.

JingsMahBucket · 17/02/2020 20:06

@pinkiocelot the OP already said them in her first post. Read again.

JingsMahBucket · 17/02/2020 20:06

Also this thread has gone bat shit with the racist trolls and agitators.

JingsMahBucket · 17/02/2020 20:11

@PhilSwagielka

'Be kind', my fucking arse.

I had to deal with anti-Semitic comments at work, I reported them, nothing happened. And they were aimed at me, but I suppose being angry about being accused of killing Jesus and not being a real Jew and blah blah blah is just being woke and I should have kept my head down like a good little girl.

Exactly. The people who say “Be kind.” are the ones who almost never have to be the butt of racism by the powerful majority in situations.

Aridane · 17/02/2020 21:46

Just give your head a shake and ignore the obnoxious person

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Ignore the racists

Ignore the antisemites

Ignore the obnoxious people who rip off hijabs from those Islamic woe men

Don’t be a title tattle. Let the racists flourish

Aridane · 17/02/2020 21:51

that's not racism. It's stupid yes and shows a poor grasp of probability, but there really is a virus being carried by 'some' Chinese people

Yes, and by people in the US, Germany, France, Singapore blah blah blah

Original poster
Redorangesblue · 17/02/2020 23:05

Fucking hell, what the hell has happened to the world? It feels like I’m in some alternate universe. Thought police and gestapo? So if someone is racist, and they’ve been told they’re being inappropriate, but they carry on, you’re supposed to ignore it? So we’re meant to enable their behaviour? So then, we should actually be supporting racism?

I have reported the person to a senior, and apparently it’s not just me who has made a complaint. Last week someone else has mentioned things to her aswell, so a good picture is building up of her disgusting attitude. And I’m fucking glad I have reported her. Those trying to label me as racist for mentioning her nationality are really pathetic. This was mentioned purely to state that she is not British and that she could also easily be targeted by racists.
How small minded are you to make an issue out of nothing.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 17/02/2020 23:27

OP, why did no-one support the only person who challenged her?

Why did people sit and say nothing at all when this person was spouting racist crap?

You say she's 'aggressive' but she's hardly going to punch someone's lights out in the workplace.

Comtesse · 17/02/2020 23:41

YANBU OP - out of order behaviour from your colleague. I don’t work in a health care setting, but we are told raise face to face if you feel able or tell someone else if you cannot. Employers cannot be seen to tolerate that kind of crap. And neither should we.

Waveysnail · 17/02/2020 23:44

I would have challenged them directly. Iv been shocked at the casual racism towards chinese people that my 11 dc has spouted out recently - just from watching the news and talking at school