Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Boy, 7, branded a racist for asking schoolmate: 'Are you brown because you come from Africa?'
Mail Online ^ | 2/19/2012

Posted on 02/20/2012 4:25:14 AM PST by Altura Ct.

The mother of a seven-year-old boy was told to sign a school form admitting he was racist after he asked another pupil about the colour of his skin.

Elliott Dearlove had asked a five-year-old boy in the playground whether he was ‘brown because he was from Africa’.

His mother, Hayley White, 29, said she received a phone call last month to say her son had been at the centre of a ‘racist incident’.

She was then summoned to a meeting with Elliott, his teacher and the deputy head of Griffin Primary School in Hull.

Ms White, an NHS healthcare assistant, said: ‘When I arrived at the school and asked Elliott what had happened, he became extremely upset.

'He kept saying to me, “I was just asking a question. I didn’t mean it to be nasty” and he was extremely distressed by it all.’

Ms White claimed she was asked at the meeting to read a copy of the school rules and in particular its zero-tolerance policy on racism.

‘I was told I would have to sign a form acknowledging my son had made a racist remark which would be submitted to the local education authority for further investigation,’ she said.

‘I refused to sign it and I told the teacher in no way did I agree the comment was racist. My son is inquisitive. He always likes to ask questions, but that doesn’t make him a racist.’

The school had launched an investigation after the younger boy told his mother about Elliott’s comment and she complained.

...Last year, it was revealed that teachers are branding thousands of children racist or homophobic following playground squabbles.

More than 20,000 pupils aged 11 or younger were put on record for so-called hate crimes such as using the word ‘gaylord’.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: zerotolerance
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last
To: Altura Ct.

The simple response to this should be to present those demanding an admission of racism with a document that they should sign, admitting that they have “fascist tendencies”.

Though in Britain, there may be a better way. Britain’s slander law is ridiculous, basically that to make a statement, *even if factual*, that offends someone else, is slander.

Thus, from the very moment that a teacher or administrator asserted that her son made a racist remark, she should have immediately threatened them with a lawsuit for slander.

That it is “policy” would be meaningless, and the mother would have a good chance of winning such a lawsuit, showing actual damages to her son’s future performance if such a slander remains unchallenged, and becomes part of his record.


61 posted on 02/20/2012 8:46:59 AM PST by yefragetuwrabrumuy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Altura Ct.
The school had launched an investigation after the younger boy told his mother about Elliott’s comment and she complained.

Gee, I thought being a person of color was something to be extremely proud of. Why, then, is it a racist insult just for anyone to notice or ask about one's dark skin? You'd think the kid and/or the mom would thank the white kid for noticing their wonderful trait. Maybe they're ashamed of being dark.

62 posted on 02/20/2012 9:13:25 AM PST by Nea Wood (Silly liberal . . . paychecks are for workers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: All

...and this is the part where we start punching adults in the mouth....
I swear to all that is Holy, I would beat the living HELL out of someone and take my chances before a jury.


63 posted on 02/20/2012 9:15:10 AM PST by Maverick68
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Altura Ct.

This is insane. We are reliving the Emperor’s New Coat. Little children notice how people look different. Because people look different.

We are the most hypocritical ever.

First we want to do backbends of worship and preferential and downright patronizing acts toward darker people. Then we want our children to not notice they look different.

The races look different. We should be telling our children that what people look like on the outside doesn’t matter. But instead we are punishing them for even noticing a difference, all while patronizing the differences.

Children are honest and full of wonder. I was with other college students deep in Asian countries where we were the new race. Schoolchildren ran after us to hopefully touch our strange long golden hair, or thick or red beards.

No one should attend school systems where children are made to feel shame for their precious curiosity. This burns me up.


64 posted on 02/20/2012 9:22:31 AM PST by Yaelle (I would have paid to see Santorum slap down old Shieffer yesterday. So I donated! Go Rick!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Daveinyork

No, it is not racism. My first child spent his first few years in Europe and didn’t see a lot of black people. So when we came here he talked about a chocolate boy in his preschool class. It is normal. It is normal for white children to ask b.ack children if their hair can soak up water like a sponge. Little kids just want to share their curiosity and then they get on with life.

Until about third grade they all play together without thought to race or difference. But by third grade they often split into their racial groups because the others of the same race have more similar lives, talk the same. I got to experiment with this because our local elementary school is as diverse as a pie cut in 4 equal parts. for the first three grades, it’s united colors of benetton. Sadly that changes, and the parents never mesh much. It’s sad. And it’s not the whites keeping anyone down. Te whites are hoping to all mix and make friends. The others keep the whites at arm’s length. I wish it were not so.


65 posted on 02/20/2012 9:30:47 AM PST by Yaelle (I would have paid to see Santorum slap down old Shieffer yesterday. So I donated! Go Rick!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: dog breath

“you can’t have a dialog about race if only one side can speak.”

Those kind don’t want a dialog, they want to impose on you. I am convinced that a certain (hopefully, minor) segment of the population would be just fine with enslaving whites as historic payback. There is a cultural sickness in the Western countries and someday the pressure cooker is going to blow up.


66 posted on 02/20/2012 9:33:15 AM PST by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: NCLaw441

You are 100% right. Children’s curosity is innocent, its the adults in charge that are nuts and see racist in another when they should be looking in the mirror for racism.


67 posted on 02/20/2012 9:46:30 AM PST by goat granny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: Irenic
More than 20,000 pupils aged 11 or younger were put on record for so-called hate crimes such as using the word ‘gaylord’.

Boy, my grade school classmates and I (late 1940's, early 1950's) would all still be in jail; we just called 'em queers or faggots. And there were a few who'd go out hunting for them to beat them up.

I just stayed away from them.

68 posted on 02/20/2012 12:23:04 PM PST by JimRed (Excising a cancer before it kills us waters the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS, NOW AND FOREVER!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Altura Ct.

Silly school staff never read Frazz: http://www.gocomics.com/frazz/2001/10/14


69 posted on 02/20/2012 12:29:56 PM PST by knittnmom (Save the earth! It's the only planet with chocolate!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-69 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson