To consider reporting this as racist?

[puttynomo]

I'm a trainee teacher and just started in my second placement. Induction day training was about unconscious bias relating to a student survey in which pupils had reported various acts of racism in the school.

We were in random assigned teams and my team had about 7 people in, one other new guy (black). The task was to discuss a number of scenarios relating to race such as mixing up the only ethnic minority students names or a pupil reporting racism from a staff member, we were meant to discuss what we'd do in these scenarios, but basically immediately these two older women (one in particular) and a man immediately started on the defensive minimising it all, saying stuff like

'I get white kids mixed up all the time or kids that are ginger, I'm not racist, some kids have a certain look like Irish kids and I get them mixed up it's not racism' then they mocked being accused of racism when they said some of the black kids behaviour was atrocious and they deserved to be removed (one of pupil complaints was unfair targeting).

This carried on and nobody else including me could get a word in. The black guy was inbetween them and said nothing. Then the worst comment of all said by this one particular woman who'd been speaking about black pupils with complete derision the whole time she said

'What if it's just a cultural thing that black people are so aggressive, the way they speak' further justifying her removing them etc. I was actually shocked and at this point it was back to the main speaker. I had no chance to speak to the other guy but later found out it was his first day as well. My mentor was next to me and said nothing.

I felt so uncomfortable and shocked about this and it's still really bothering me. I saw the black guy in the staff room today he sat on his own and didn't speak to anyone I meant to try and speak to him but didn't get a chance.

What's the best course of action here? Was it racism? Should I speak to him and say anything? Should I report it? It's difficult as I've only just met everyone and my mentor and I don't know who those other people were. AIBU to think that this should be reported so this staff member can be spoken to? I'm shocked she is confident enough to say these things and then teaching children.

Yes she should be reported. She shouldn't be allowed to teach while having that thought process.

I wouldn't want some racist, ignorant arsehole teaching my children.

Society is moving in a less civilised direction and bigots are getting their day in the sun. They call it "free speech".

I'm surprised that in training on unconscious bias, no one had the witherall to nip this in the bud. I can't imagine what that man was feeling.

I'm going to have to try and work out the correct reporting procedure as I don't know if it comes under whistleblowing? Or something else, I've not met any of the slt other than a couple shakes of hands. I can speak to another mentor I know a lot better about it tomorrow.

Do you have an employee handbook? If so is there direction on unacceptable behaviour? It usually tells you who to approach regarding complaints. You could contact your union or ACAS.

Yes you should report the woman. But you should also complain to the school about how awful this training was mixing white and people who experience racism together, isn't appropriate without extremely careful strict ground rules and supervision.

Ignorant white (and other) do need a space to ask questions and air their opinions so they can be challenged but black and brown colleagues shouldn't be traumatized by having to witness this

You might want to ask if the school has any anti racism support from the council, are you academy or under local authority control?

The Anna Freud Centre has good anti racism materials

Yes I agree and especially as there were a number of people for whom it was their first day not knowing anyone. To clarify, when I am asking if this is racism I mean would this be classified as that by slt as I'm unsure how 'bad' it has to be to be taken seriously although I was so shocked none of the other team members reacted at all!

I've never been so uncomfortable in a discussion at work ever. I wanted to speak to the guy and ask if he was ok and say I thought it was awful what they said but then I was worried if that was the right thing as well as he was so quiet and didn't say a word to anyone but I am so uncomfortable with the thought of not doing anything and that being ok. But I'm worried about 'dragging' this guy into this when he is also new (and an lsa who I know can be treated as 'lesser') and if he wouldn't want that.

It's an academy

Maybe also relevant as to why I mentioned age is because the black guy (and myself) are much younger, and again first day compared to these teachers who I assume have been at the school for quite a while based on how they acted.

I am white and I know as a white person we are not always sure if it's ok to raise the topic of racism with someone who is not white unless they raise it first, but I think in this case you should speak to your black colleague and check he is ok. Something like "The way that session went today, it wasn't right. Are you ok?"

Whether you should raise the issue with your leadership can come after. The most important thing right now | think is to be there for the person who may have had a pretty shitty experience.

He might tell you to F off and it's all ok and none of your business, or he might be feeling really isolated and angry and having someone recognise what happened will make a difference. I think the risk of doing the wrong thing is less important than the possibility of giving support to someone who needs it.

I think as well I couldn't believe that right next to a new, black staff member (who at no point during the entire morning did I see her or the other woman acknowledge him whatsoever) she started talking about 'their culture'!! I feel like that's so wrong.

I honestly cannot believe this kind of thing carries on, still!
Yes, report the woman. Speak to the other new teacher and see if he would like to report it as well (he may not).

This sort of thing is part of why unconscious bias training has been shown to make people's prejudices worse.

You might try talking to your mentor about it to get some guidance about whether it's likely to go anywhere, or whether it's already been realized that it was a shit show and shouldn't be repeated.

I don't feel much faith in my mentor when she didn't make a single comment throughout the entire thing (also have really hardly spoken to her and just don't know her relationship with these other staff members)

Have you a tutor in college you can discuss this with? Someone you trust? Unfortunately this is always how racist behaviour goes unchecked, people are too socially conditioned to be polite, and by not saying anything you are (unwittingly) accepting the behaviour. Was there not a leader for this training?

Can't believe you did a course and weren't required to complete a feedback form.

few years ago I attended an internal EDI training course; many racist & other discriminatory behaviours displayed in chat over the lunch break - I didn't make a complaint, but pointed out to the rest of the group that they were being racist, discriminatory and elitist. A few years later, covering EDI on an MSc course, I referenced this course as an example of how ineffective such training could be. The lecturer admitted quietly that he'd designed and co-delivered the program.😮

Yeah I have other mentors I can talk to, there was a leader for the training i believe the deputy head!

Definitely report her. If she’s happy enough to speak like that in front of a black colleague - then what would she be like with black students? It’s not only racist, but a safeguarding issue, black students are not safe around an adult who thinks & speaks like that. You really need to report this TODAY directly to the SLT & someone senior on your course (maybe not the mentor - but do explain she was there & said/did nothing too).

You can report it as a 'low level concern' and then SLT will come to you about it. The form/ link should be openly available on your school website or internal shared drive. You should have been informed how to report when completing your school specific safeguarding training. You have to do it- what they said isn't 'low level'- that's just the terminology- it is absolutely shocking and outrageous.
I had to report someone via this system for racist language in my first job here in the UK. I was blown away that (some) people in the UK still feel that they can speak like this. Help stop it!

That's definitely racist. She needs reporting. Ask your colleague if he's OK.

@puttynomo was it in-house training or an outside company?

Just inset day training it wasn't an external company

Sorry I realised I put 'induction day training' in my original post. It was inset day training with all the staff in the school I got mixed up because I had induction training as well

@puttynomo So who was running the training?