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You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Political Science > 1st Amendment and Free Speech > my teacher called me a racist
Expert: Ed Buckner
Date: 12/13/2007
Subject: my teacher called me a racist
Question
i have this really nasty word processing teacher who called me a raciest when we were disgusting a powerboat presentation one kid made about homes. this is basically the conversation as i remember it <her>public schools are pretty bad around here <me>the worst thing about my old school , Asheville High was the discipline , there were so many gangsters and punks constantly disrupting everything.<her>in your situation you have no right to be prejudice <me>against who ,criminals? trouble makers? <her>black people <me> i didn't say anything about race.
i am not a racist and i have quite a few friends of different races , mostly Jewish , though i have been called a Nazi al the time at AS because i am from Austria, which is infamous for extreme racism. Anyway , i asked a black guy who was there at the time if he considered her accusation racist today , he said that he didn't but some people might, though she had no right to accuse me because i didn't imply race. should i have my teacher fired ?
Answer
Dear Daniel,
I doubt--though I cannot know, of course, with no more facts than you've provided--that having the teacher fired is an option you have, though it's possible she is at risk because of careless use of the language.
This is really not so much a legal matter as it is a matter of professionalism and decency in how people treat each other.
I don't recommend that you just forget about this, but I also don't recommend that you attempt to make more of a stink than may be warranted. If it were me and the circumstances are at least close to what you described, I believe I'd send or give her a formal letter explaining that you were greatly offended by her inaccurate remarks about you and requesting, firmly but politely, that she apologize and that she refrain from careless accusations like this in the future. It would probably be wise to include an explanation that, as an Austrian, you're especially sensitive to being misjudged in this way because of the dangerous racism that has in fact existed there in the past. I'd avoid any threats and I wouldn't send a copy to the principal, etc. But I would keep a copy and, if she responds rudely or retaliates against you, then I'd show the principal--and perhaps the central office--the copy of the letter. Because you might later use the letter in this way, it is very important that your letter to her be a model of reasonableness and courtesy and that the grammar and spelling in it be correct. You might even get an adult you trust--someone not associated with the school--to read over your letter before you send or give it to her.
Good luck and regards,
Ed B.
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