Student complaining-religion

[totoromama]

I train adults in professional services and they do professional exams.
I'm really upset about something a student said today. I need to vent but don't think I can take it further.
I taught anything successful 4 day course with an exam.
The student in question got a really high score, she was so happy!
I leant over her to look at the score she was telling me and my pendant necklace came out of my top.
Her whole demeanor changed.
She stood up and exclaimed that if she had known I was x she wouldn't have done the course and she was going to complain.
I'm so upset.my religion has nothing to do with my job. I feel scared.
She'll complain and it'll effect me at work not for my performance.
I'm not sure my aibu.

I absolutely believe this happened, I know people similar things have happened to. Yes, the law absolutely protects you and the student was wrong... but the victim blaming is strong for us. And it's not like we can always be protected by not wearing a necklace. I have a very obvious surname. (Not "Goldstein" but something like that.)

I thought it was Satanism or something . This is a wild scenario

If your employer asks you to remove your pendant then they would be breaking the law and a breach of the Equality Act.

You have the right to wear your religious symbol.

I would report the student first thing tomorrow. You shouldn’t have to train someone hostile to you.

Are you in the UK? If not, are you in an EU country?

If your answer to either question is “yes” you have freedom to practice your religion, guaranteed by law.

Your student has potentially discriminated against you on the grounds of your religion.

If your employer has a “no religious jewellery/headwear/etc” policy, you may be in breach of that policy. If they do have such a policy, it has to be reasonable.

If your pendant was tucked in but accidentally slipped out, I doubt you would be in breach of an employment policy.

You should raise the situation with your employer. The student should not discriminate against you on the basis of your race or religion. Your employer has a duty to you under the equalities legislation.

That's a terrible way for her to behave.

And she's an idiot for saying it to you.

Do you think your boss would be supportive if you named this person?

Presumably there's a policy about diversity, equality and so on?

I can believe it.
I wear a tiny crucifix on a bracelet. So small even people I spend a lot of time with went years without noticing what it was. It's for me, rather than for anyone else.
I was once at a conference and the person sat next to me got offended by it, when she saw my hand on the table. Similar reaction to what OP has described. Told me to take it off or she would complain. I let her complain. She had the choice not to look at my hand and I was hardly waving it in her face or even talking about religion.

And FWIW OP, if I saw you wearing your pendant, I would still smile at you in the street. You are hardly to blame for the events in the Middle East, just as I am not to blame for the awful things that provoked the safeguarding crisis in the Church of England.

Regardless of world events (for which you are obviously not responsible), in the UK, your religion is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. This means you can report this incident to your employer (in writing), and they are legally required to ensure that you do not suffer any discrimination based on that protected characteristic. In this case that sounds like they should pull the student up on her frankly outrageous comments at the very least. I do appreciate that the current social climate feels intimidating. I really am sorry about that, but honestly, this is a matter of law, and your employer must act accordingly. If they don't, please do contact your union (or join a union and raise it).

These types of cases have already been through the courts; they can't do anything to you and if they try, you'll win at a trubunal.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21025332

Yes she's an idiot. Only in her 20s but she was wanting to improve and get a new job. I offered to help. I know lots of recruiters, I've worked in lots of industries. She has so much potential.
It's just such a shame, I'm not going to help her now.
I've always been open about my religion in previous employment but since October 7th and the open antisemitism i don't say anything.

Wow OP that is unbelievable. Your employer can’t stop you wearing the pendant without it being a reasonable means of achieving a legitimate aim: https://www.acas.org.uk/religion-or-belief-discrimination/preventing-religion-or-belief-discrimination

They’d be hard pressed to think of a reason why you couldn’t wear a pendant under your shirt. Do any other employees wear items related to their religion e.g a crucifix or a hijab?

Im Jewish and I believe you. I honestly can’t believe some of the things I hear and see nowadays. I stopped wearing my star as I’m just scared and tired.

On a legal basis you have rights but check if your employer has rules. If other people are wearing other religious objects that’s important too. But your manager should be on your side and you did absolutely nothing wrong.

It’s instructive who won and who lost in these cases.

The member of airline staff won and was allowed to wear her cross.

The nurse didn’t; irrc because for health and safety reasons nurses weren’t allowed to wear any necklaces - she wasn't being discriminated against because of her religion, she was demanding a privilege to wear jewellery when no one else could.

The OPs case is analogous to the former not the latter.

Why would it effect you at work? Surely they will just ignore the complaint since it’s ridiculous?

I knew you were going to say Jewish before you did @totoromama
I'm so sorry this happened. People feel so bold to show their Jew hate now.
That person has shown a hateful and disgusting attitude. Can you report for such behaviour?
I hope you're OK and let your employer know this has happened.

She'll complain and it'll effect me at work not for my performance.

Bollocks will it.

But I'm sure you know this.

Can you report her or have her kicked off the course or fail her....?

Wait, what?

"She stood up and exclaimed that if she had known I was x she wouldn't have done the course and she was going to complain.
I'm so upset.my religion has nothing to do with my job. I feel scared."

And then you asked her after this happened if she was still interested in the advanced course? 😳

Why?

What do you think was going through the students head, to react like that when she saw your Jewish pendant?

That’s not the OPs problem.

I agree, but still interesting to understand motives and thinking.. I would have asked.

But I wasn't there and it sounds like a horrible experience

Absolutely vile behaviour OP by this person. Please report it. You don’t need to put up with this BS.

I think it's strange you haven't explicitly said what the pendant was? There are multiple most of which you'd probably have to be educated in Judaism to identify

Surely this is illegal and should be reported to the police as a hate crime? The rise (or reveal) of antisemitism over the past couple of years has been terrifying, and I'm not even Jewish. Please report it, these bigots need to learn that their behaviour is completely unacceptable.

I’m not sure asking would have been appropriate. It would probably have escalated the situation, and whatever issues the student has, the op shouldn’t have to allow her to justify her hostile behaviour.

Any company firing an employee for their religion in the UK would be acting illegally.

What a shit thing to happen, OP. But the bigotted student is in the wrong, not you.