This former teacher claimed she was branded a “racist” after staying silent during a mandatory staff meeting discussion: “that just feels icky to me”

A former teacher’s claim involving racism has come to light. She alleged she was one of the “few white people in the school, let alone the staff,” and was asked an uncomfortable question related to white privilege during a school staff meeting, the Daily Dot reported. However, the teacher claimed she was labeled a “racist” when she chose to stay silent on this question. No comments from the school were found.

The clip shared by @HistorianUSA1 on Twitter/X appears to give insights into this matter. It’s almost 3 minutes long and shows a teacher describing how she was branded a racist. The story is from when she was at a meeting in a “Title 1 school.” It appears there were around 20 people in the meeting, and the topic was “equality and inclusion.” But during the discussion, the teacher claimed she was asked, “Will you identify to us ways in which you have personally benefited from white supremacy?”

The teacher then said she was in “disbelief” when she heard these words. She claimed she didn’t respond, and instead said, “I don’t feel comfortable answering this question because you are only asking me because of my skin color that you can see.” According to the teacher, it was a weird thing to be asked at work in front of her colleagues, and she claimed that it “feels icky to me.”

Her story continued…

She continued to explain how she was labeled a racist later. According to the teacher, when the meeting came to an end, the person who asked her the question allegedly told the people around the school that she was “racist” because she was “uncomfortable” answering the question about her “white privilege.” On the matter involving racism, this teacher also mentioned that her discomfort was not related to discussing the topic of racism, but it was due to her being asked on the basis of her race.

The audience also shared their opinions in the comment section. One of them wrote, “Horrible! Terrible position to be in. It seemed like the racist woman who asked you this question was trying to squeeze you out. Sounds like you handled it extremely well. I would like to think that other teachers supported you.” Another one mentioned, “Okay, ickey. That’s how life is. Deal with it…or change it.”

Similarly, one user appeared to take a neutral approach to her story, saying, “She shouldn’t have been called racist. But she should have been able to answer the question.” The woman didn’t mention the school’s name, and her identity remains unknown. Her claims are not independently verified.