Is this the mother of all calling out - Katherine Birbalsingh

[DramaFatigue]

Katherine Birbalsingh has done the mother of all calling out and I can't help but sit here with my jaw on the kitchen table in awe.

She has written a 4-page open letter to Sir Kerr Starmer calling out Jess Phillip's behaviour online. Whilst I don't always agree with KB's methods of the school she runs, I do think that Jess Phillips behaviour towards her is shocking and unbefitting of someone who could be running the country. JP should resign TBH.

https://news.sky.com/story/headteacher-katharine-birbalsingh-brands-labour-mp-jess-phillips-social-media-posts-racist-and-bullying-12913139

You would be forgiven to think that it was about racism.

Some of the quotes:

UK's strictest teacher brands Jess Phillips 'racist' in bombshell letter to Keir Starmer | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

The UK’s strictest headteacher today launched a brutal tirade on Labour MP Jess Phillips, accusing her of being “racist”, “bullying” and encouraging a “vicious mob attack” on her in a jaw-dropping Twitter spat sparked by the death of music icon Tina Turner

Britain's strictest headteacher says Labour's Jess Phillips is 'racist and bullying' | Daily Mail Online

Britain's strictest headteacher today claimed Labour MP Jess Phillips is 'racist and bullying' for firing up a 'vicious mob attack' on her in an extraordinary Twitter storm sparked by the death of Tina Turner.

Katharine Birbalsingh accuses Labour MP Jess Phillips of racism on Twitter (thetimes.co.uk)

Jess Phillips is not racist, Labour's Bridget Phillipson says after online row - BBC News

Labour MP Jess Phillips is not racist, shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson has said, following a social media row involving Ms Phillips and a prominent headteacher.
Katharine Birbalsingh - from the Michaela Community School - has accused Ms Phillips of racism and bullying.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that KB had accused JP of racism and of being racist.

In the letter, KB claims that JP hates her because she is black and dared to speak at the Nat C conference

She "holds me in contempt" for not bending the knee and considering her master"

The reason she attacked me is because as a white woman on the left , she feels she owns me.

Next to these words are the tweet that she thought said "You aren't no Asian" when it said "You aren't no Aslan"

Why would she put that tweet next to those words - is it supposed to be evidence of JPs "racism" and wanting to own her and consider her "master"

She read the tweet wrong - and those are very strong words to use saying that JP holds her in contempt for not bending the knee and considering her master and thinking she owns me - and then using a tweet that she thought was racist as evidence.

Sorry - this was on the page after.

Its a plain and obvious accusation of racism. Surely the nature of the accusation is not up for debate?

When SunnyEgg said “Even KB has said she doesn't think it was racism” I assumed KB had been back-pedalling.

Just some of her recent tweets

I have to say that that letter has had some cropped images so any context is lost on the images.

She has posted the "Sure" GIF from Schitt's Creek without posting the tweet that was under it - and has claimed that the "sure" is JP's response to KB saying she does not support DV

It's also quite a claim to suggest that JP suggested that she supported DV and that the children in her care were in danger. It is also quite a claim to suggest that it was JP's actions that led to a lot of abuse from other people on Twitter.

I watched the link up thread of the interview, which is similar in wording to the unconscious bias tweet

If someone hadn't seen the interview and had just read the headlines, I think people would get the impression that KB had accused JP of being racist.

I wonder how much that misreading of Aslan affected her response and prompted her to write the letter?

I wonder how much her unconscious bias toward people on the Left prompted her to believe JP was like that and got her to write that letter?

My ds is a swimmer.

"That swimmer boy" wouldn't be insulting with regards unconscious bias towards his disability.

It would be a way of defining you meant him!

It's a lazy choice of words I admit. But I really would be discouraging him from making defamatory remarks and accusations of unconscious bias towards his disability because someone defined him by the "job" he does.

I agree with part of this pp She is entitled to feel however she feels. but would add and she gets to talk about it.

She does get to talk about it. Correct.

The same way we get to discuss how we dislike how she runs her school. We get to discuss how we dislike the tweets she put out.

The same way we get to discuss how she misread Aslan for Asian and therefore must have been reacting in some kind of bias herself and it was - at best - unwise to publicly use this against the person as she was incorrect.

The point is we all get to discuss out thoughts and feelings and to discuss them publicly if we choose.

You can't limit that privilege to one side of a debate based on a characteristic or you do end up silencing people and you don't end up with a balanced view.

She does get to talk about it. Correct.

I’m glad you agree.

You can certainly discuss how she runs her school. Someone might actively not choose that school based on it, which is up to them.

Some of it though, all the narcissist, entitled, self publicist stuff is similar to the Meghan Markle threads, some object but I don’t think they’ve been stopped yet.

I probably would take care with non anonymous platforms though, as JP should. Hopefully a bit of a wake up on how not to speak to black women where the latter might have her own view on how belittling she found it.

Re your ds, surely his view on whether or not he found it belittling would be more relevant.

The question that doesn't seem to have been asked and therefore answered is why KP reacted to JPs tweet when hundreds of others had tweeted the same previously.

I find the psychology around the mind fascinating.

Indeed.

And I wonder how much her misreading of "Aslan" contributed to her thought process and make her decide to write that ietter.

And the process she has gone through this week when she has been pulled up on her mistakes.

itsgettingweird
My ds is a swimmer.

Yes - I know.

"That swimmer boy" wouldn't be insulting with regards unconscious bias towards his disability.
It would be a way of defining you meant him!

But I deliberately labelled him as 'that swimming boy' for my example (not 'that swimmer boy') - 'swimming boy' undermines the ability and professionalism of a disabled athlete (in my opinion).

itsgettingweird
The question that doesn't seem to have been asked and therefore answered is why KP reacted to JPs tweet when hundreds of others had tweeted the same previously.
I find the psychology around the mind fascinating.

KB answers that question throughout her letter:
[JP] called into question my school's safeguarding policies in a deliberate attempt to challenge my competence as a Headteacher. Ms Phillips is the official Labour representative on matters of safeguarding.

I repeat, Ms Phillips is not an ordinary member of the public but Shadow Minister for Safeguarding.

She also points out that JP tweeted 4 times and has over 630k followers.

Is the head of that pin you’re dancing on painful Clav?

Blossomtoes
Is the head of that pin you’re dancing on painful Clav?

I don't know what you mean - but have a nice day - I'm off to Hampton Court.

Saying you're not a racist but you're being racist because you can't help it is a pretty clear accusation of racism.

I don't think there's any unconscious in JPs bias. She' quite clear why she doesn't like her. It's because she's a dickhead

I’m glad she doesn’t have to just put up with abuse like this without come back

If she has headlines going her way then fine.

Do people just stick to anonymous forums or feel up to letting people know under their own name.

@itsgettingweird Because unlike the hordes on Twitter JP is a member of parliament. I take any opportunity I can to remind JP that her 'woman of the people schtick' is garbage despite many others who masquerade as such on Twitter.

What a waste of time. Unless you’re one of her constituents she won’t care what you think and with 630,000 followers I don’t suppose your efforts even register.

What a waste of time. Unless you’re one of her constituents she won’t care what you think and with 630,000 followers I don’t suppose your efforts even register

If you say so

I hope JP is taking legal advice. Wrongly accusing someone of being racist when your accusation letter is full of errors is either very very silly or plainly wicked.

Headlines going her way...

Yes - the Express, Mail, GB News and The TImes certainly are going to take a non biased and balanced view in this debate.

KB claims she didn't brand JP racist.

You would really struggle to believe that from the letter - given the media have said that KB brands JP racist and bullying and in her interview with Talk TV, the caption reads "Headmistress brands Labour MPs tweets "racist" and bullying"

That Talk TV interview - she claims that JP tweeted that she was a supporter of domestic violence. Which JP definitely did not tweet that.

Why is she doing endless interviews about this 'spat'?
Also why is she the only headteacher we always hear from. Her school is not the only good school in the UK.

Yet again, you demonstrate that you can't give a straight nswer, you can only try to deflect by referring to various irrelevant other cases involving other people. The fact remains that Johnson knowingly appointed a sex molester to a position of power and then sent people out to lie about it for him when Pincher was caught out again. The vast majority of his cabinet and party were so appalled by his conduct that they decided that they could no longer work with him. Yet, for you, it was just "unwise" and "an error of judgment" or "poor judgment". Some might think it conduct wholly unbefitting a Prime Minister, but not, apparently, you.