By Wanique Block
It has been about five days since the video of a verbal altercation between an Ennerdale teacher and a students grandmother first surfaced on social media.
Captured and posted by a High School teacher at Fred Norman Secondary, the viral video sees a heated argument between a frustrated grandmother and her granddaughter’s History teacher.
The verbal altercation took place last week Friday the 12th August 2022 at 11 AM.
The argument quickly escalates when the teacher in question insults the student’s grandmother by not only calling her “trash” but also emphasising that she doesn’t like coloured people.
“I don’t like Coloureds. You people are rude, you don’t have manners,” the teacher expressed in the viral video.
Now, almost a week later, the grandmother in the video speaks out to Kaya 959 about her grievances that led up to the verbal altercation, the racial prejudice she has faced as well as her hopes for justice and accountability.
“For two months I would go to my granddaughter’s school because this teacher put my grandchild out of her class and refused to teach her”, she says.
She also mentioned that during this verbal altercation, this teacher blatantly expressed her dislike for her granddaughter.
“I don’t like your granddaughter, period.”
She also brought it Kaya 959’s attention that after the altercation not only did they settle everything with the Principal, but she (the grandmother) specifically apologised to the Principal for invading the teacher’s personal space.
Because things were seemingly sorted, she was then caught off guard when she saw the video of herself trending on social media.
In addition to this, she lets Kaya 959 know that this was not the teacher’s first offence in expressing her dislike for Coloured people, to the point where the Principal, who is a Coloured woman, also questioned the teacher about her racially prejudiced statements.
She continues by telling us that she felt judged and insulted when the teacher called her “trash” and said that she doesn’t like Coloured people.
“I was furious because I immediately felt like she was insulting and judging me. And at the moment I had to stand up for myself and my grandchild”.
When asked about the justice she expects, she wants to know what remedies will be taken to assist her granddaughter with catching up, as well as how these young kids will be assisted as many of them are traumatised by the events that took place.
“What is the GDE going to do about the fact that my granddaughter missed out on her class for so long, will the teacher be permanently removed because she wasn’t an example for those young kids and lastly, what about those young kids? How will they be supported after this traumatising event?”.
Since this, the GDE has not suspended the teacher but removed her from the school.
“We can’t regard it as a suspension; we have indicated that the teacher has been removed precautionarily so as the investigation continues, and due processes must be followed, and we must echo the MEC’s sentiments that racism cannot be tolerated,” explained Steve Mabona who is the Education MEC Spokesperson.
Despite many questioning the validity of this particular incident, one thing that shouldn’t be questioned or swept under the rug is the fact that racial prejudice and discrimination should never be tolerated or accepted.
*Kaya 959 has contacted the teacher however she refrained from commenting.
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