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.

Just the senior leadership there were a couple of different people but I believe one was the deputy head.

Christ talk about the bystander effect. How did NO ONE say anything at the time??

That is unacceptable.
it sounds racist to me.

it isn’t the responsibly of POC to stand up against this stuff, there surely were white people in that group that should have known this was offensive and could have closed the line of discussion up.

she might have these thoughts at home, but surely she recognises that this mindset has no place at all at work. even more so when working with children.

do report it.
id hope that you aren’t the only ones to do so.

3 others including my mentor were just 'checked out' showed no interest in saying anything from the start, the black guy was in the middle of the women looking uncomfortable, the two women and the man just dominated the conversation and wouldn't let anyone else speak I tried to interject a few times to disagree but they talked over me so I tried to talk to my mentor about the fact that actually I think it is different to mix up the only two black pupils names in the class and it's something you should apologise for sincerely but she just sort of nodded and then at the final comment I started saying that's not right but the person leading the training called everyone back to listening. But I feel awful that I didn't do enough. I have training all day today with my course so I'm going to raise it.

Yes, you should take this further. Do you have a college tutor or any sort of mentor away from the school?

Maybe because they all agreed with her?
With the exception of the OP and the other new guy, presumably, and I don’t blame either of them for not feeling confident enough to raise it immediately. Good that the OP is going to do their best to something about it though.

Absolutely report this as racism. Normally there are leads in the school for safeguarding etc. this isn’t quite that but they may be a good person to approach as will be used to dealing with sensitive issues.

I would have talked to the course leader immediately, but I can understand why you didn't when you are very new to the school.

I would first talk about it with your mentor, maybe telling her you feel this interaction needs reporting and asking her about the right process. Going straight above her head might cause issues.

If she isn't receptive or try to dismiss your concerns, then approach the head or the person who led the course.
I would try to avoid name and shame though if you can, as this could massively backfire on you. Just report the way the conversation went in your group and tell them you feel additional training is required.

A similar thing happened to me in training

I reported it, the company took appropriate action.

I'm still shocked to this day.

'What if it's just a cultural thing that black people are so aggressive'.

That's a horribly racist comment to make about black people AND 'in front' of a black colleague. It's almost as though she was trying to intimidate him* and lacks so much self-awareness, it's astounding. I'd have challenged her comments right then (BTW I'm not criticising you for not doing so). What did the black teacher have to say about it?

A cultural thing?! Black people aren't just from one place. There isn't just one society that black culture falls under. The fact that this racist and ignorant woman was so clumsy expressing herself and is a teacher concerns me.

*I do sense it's possible that the woman in question wasn't trying to intimidate the black colleague, but she simply requires training on concepts and is someone who is out-spoken and assertive, and wanted to show she had lots of opinions in a group setting (we all know the type).

I definitely think you should report her.

I'd be wary of wading in with a formal complaint on your first day.

The staff you are referring to, know the pupils and you do not. Is she referring to one or two specific individuals? Has she been attacked? Threatened? You don't know what she has had to deal with.

Clearly her comments are not acceptable so I'd raise your concerns discretely, with your SLT mentor or primary contact rather than going in all guns blazing.

So the training was on unconscious bias, in a group setting loads of unconsciousness sbias of the worst kind was demonstrated and there was no discussion or facilitator to manage it? I think there's a huge problem here. Personally, I'd approach whoever was running the training and explain what happened, why you felt uncomfortable etc and that you felt that clearly the training was not actually doing what it was supposed to. God, this is awful.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GyEMbIRYVGA

This is very interesting to watch. It will help you know you are doing the right thing.

If you don’t want to click the link search

Teacher REMOVES STUDENT from class - The reason WHY will SHOCK YOU on YouTube

I think what was expressed in that discussion was very much conscious bias. Nothing unconscious about a comment like that. That was overt racism. And in front of a new black colleague, I would consider than deliberate intimidation.
Someone like that has no business teaching. Nor does any authority overlooking such comments.

Report to whom? The school leadership?

Absolutely.

Their immediate defensiveness means they are exactly the type of racist professionals kids need protecting from.

”Cultural tendency to be aggressive”.

Jesus!

Also that was not unconscious bias. It was very much conscious.

Right.

My first thought on that comment was “what the F is black culture”? Black people come from 100s of different cultural backgrounds.

@Meadowfinch "The staff you are referring to, know the pupils and you do not. Is she referring to one or two specific individuals? Has she been attacked? Threatened? You don't know what she has had to deal with."

Well, we all know what her students have to deal with!

You really need to give feedback about the trainer, not the woman. The trainer should have structured and handled it better and not let individuals dominate the conversation, blurting out their every unwise thought. If the actual outcome of the training is that individuals could vent about race unchallenged, then I don't think the intended outcomes of the session were achieved.

The member of staff made a comment about all black people, not just individual pupils, when she said:

'What if it's just a cultural thing that black people are so aggressive'.

There is no way that this woman is a suitable person to be a teacher who is in a position to influence young people. She certainly isn't a safe person to be in a position of authority over black pupils. She is an outright racist.

I’m genuinely disgusted that someone was so confident in their racism they felt able to say these things on the first day in a professional context.

Absolutely gobsmacked. Please do report this. In particular the comment about black pupils. All of it was bad but that was vile.

And nobody said anything? Not even the head/deputies leading the session?

What materials/course were they using (the copyright message is the clue)? I'm assuming they were not making it up as they went along - schools buy in a lot of these materials (although the quality is often piss poor).

It all sounds very strange. In this scenario I'd have a bigger problem with SLT who were providing the "training" and leading the sessions.

There are a lot of staff so the hall was full of people and our group was at the back so none of the leaders were aware of what was being said. I don't believe they were official or external materials tbh the training was quite scant it was mainly looking at what unconscious bias is then protected characteristics and then the survey and group work.

Speak to your course leader and also to your union - I presume you have student membership? The union is great at giving advice over the phone for situations like this. Document it, date, time, who said what etc before you forget the details. Then with their support report to the Head.

The reporting should be done regardless of whether there was a Black colleague present. You're not doing it "for him", you would be doing it even if there were only white teachers in that discussion group. The point is about the women. It's about her attitude, prejudice and safeguarding the children that come into her care.

Separately if you want to say something to your Black colleague then do, but don't make him responsible for your actions - as pp said, he's entitled to respond however he chooses. Use your own integrity and report this.

I find it utterly shocking that there was nobody moderating the groups. Nobody to offer support to the group members. Imagine what it must have been like to be the black member of staff listening to this stuff.