7yo Elliott Dearlove branded racist for asking question about child's brown skin.

**Marv** · February 19th, 2012, 06:17 AM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...me-Africa.html

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.’
[...]

‘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.
[...]

Karl Turner, Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull East, last night insisted that the school and Hull City Council had a statutory duty to take racism seriously.

‘However, having spoken to Hayley, I’m satisfied that her seven-year-old son, Elliott, was not being racist in his remarks but just inquisitive,’ he said.

‘It seems the matter has been taken out of all proportion and common sense seems to have gone completely out of the window.’
[...]

Vanessa Harvey-Samuel, head of localities and learning at Hull City Council, said: ‘There is a statutory duty to report any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’

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’

**sheevaa** · February 19th, 2012, 08:44 AM

Hypersensitive, a little? Come on, people. He's 7 and white. Might be that he hasn't been around too many black people before. Heaven forbid he try to learn something about someone else.

I was surprised, though. Usually with retarded cases like this the "victim's" family would be suing by now. No, not because they're black *insert eyeroll* because they're pansy bitches that can't take a little kids innocent question.

**malq** · February 19th, 2012, 10:55 AM

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

It's not just on the playground it is everywhere. I find it disturbing they are training little people to act like minorities are something to be feared and that it is basically illegal to say anything. A joke, the slightest subjective connotation, anything that can possibly be construed and racism or homophobia is taken to the maximum as long as it is scrutinized by the public. People in authority cannot be caught letting anything slide. Past knee jerk reactions like firing someone for a comment has created an atmosphere of elitism and speech paranoia by those that are in the minority.

As the resident homophobe, I will continue to make fun of them as long as they keep acting like babies and special entities from society. I do not buy they are on the same level as those that fought civil rights. If they truly want to blend in with the rest of the world, the should react the same way I do when I get called an asshole. Have no reaction. It will soon cease.

The minute people confuse curiosity and / or opinion with the intent to defame insult of verbally abuse someone, things have gone too far.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 19th, 2012, 11:13 AM

My mom countless times told the story of the first time I saw a black man. I pointed and shouted "LOOK! A chocolate person!" Many years later, my own daughter (then 4yo) whispered to me "Mom! There's a Cosby!".

Little Elliott was just trying to put something different into his own frame of reference. It's far better that he asked rather than keep quiet and make up something in his mind. At least he knew enough to know it wasn't someone made of chocolate or a TV character come to play.

**DamagedGoods** · February 19th, 2012, 11:19 AM

I'd hazard a guess that shit like this is more likely to contribute to future racism than it is to prevent it.

**Alf** · February 19th, 2012, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by ohmarvellousme!

Vanessa Harvey-Samuel, head of localities and learning at Hull City Council, said: ‘There is a statutory duty to report any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’

What a can of worms Ms. Harvey-Samuel opened with that statement.

I perceive Hull City Counsel and Griffin Primary School accusing a seven-year-old child of racism because he sought to learn more about another child's darker skin, in and of itself, to be racist.

--Al

**OMalley** · February 19th, 2012, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

My mom countless times told the story of the first time I saw a black man. I pointed and shouted "LOOK! A chocolate person!" Many years later, my own daughter (then 4yo) whispered to me "Mom! There's a Cosby!".

Little Elliott was just trying to put something different into his own frame of reference. It's far better that he asked rather than keep quiet and make up something in his mind. At least he knew enough to know it wasn't someone made of chocolate or a TV character come to play.

WOW, DV, similar thing happened to me. I was walking down the street with my Aunt and pointed out the chocolate man (apparently loudly), and she immediately slapped me right across the face. I'd never seen a black person before...I didn't even know why she hit me. Nice, eh?

With my kids, they never asked any questions or mentioned anything about anyone's skin color. I've wondered whether they didn't really notice or just didn't care. Granted, they have bi-racial cousins and more diversity in their schools than when I was a kid. I've waited to answer questions but they seemed to take everything in stride. Same thing with their friend who has 2 mothers - hub and I talked about it, figured out how we'd respond to questions but they never asked a thing. One time son said, "my friend has 2 mothers" and that was it.

**DamagedGoods** · February 19th, 2012, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by OMalley

With my kids, they never asked any questions or mentioned anything about anyone's skin color. I've wondered whether they didn't really notice or just didn't care. Granted, they have bi-racial cousins and more diversity in their schools than when I was a kid. I've waited to answer questions but they seemed to take everything in stride. Same thing with their friend who has 2 mothers - hub and I talked about it, figured out how we'd respond to questions but they never asked a thing. One time son said, "my friend has 2 mothers" and that was it.

When I was a kid, I didn't see skin colour any differently than I did hair or eye colour, until I was essentially taught to.

**Pete Bondurant** · February 19th, 2012, 11:43 AM

http://www.bnp.org.uk/

**DamagedGoods** · February 19th, 2012, 02:01 PM

Now, if only they'd put this kind of time and effort in to child protective services...

**TheMorningStar** · February 19th, 2012, 02:34 PM

Better hurry up and change the names "Jungle Gym" and "Monkey Bars".

**nopatience** · February 19th, 2012, 02:34 PM

FFS - now a kid can't even ask a question without being labeled?? So, I'm guessing I should have had my panties in a twist last year when my 3 y/o daughter was called Snow White? And here I told her that little boy must have thought she looked like a princess.

My oldest notices but doesn't care because we have stressed repeatedly that there will always be people who are different than you - whether it be physically or mentally. We have tried to teach our kids not to judge by someone's difference but by their actions. Ex: The little boy in my daughter's class last year who called her Snow White was black. She tried to play with him on several occasions but would always tell me that he called her names, didn't share and was just mean. At that point, she didn't judge him by his skin but because he was behaving like an ass.

**sheevaa** · February 19th, 2012, 03:10 PM

Silly @nopatience, everyone knows it's not racist if you insult a white person :P

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 19th, 2012, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by DamagedGoods

When I was a kid, I didn't see skin colour any differently than I did hair or eye colour, until I was essentially taught to.

Around here (25 and 50 years ago, anyway) we grew up seeing a variety of hair/eye colors and took it in stride - no explanations needed because that's just the way folks were - but there wasn't much skin color diversity. While my kids never asked questions about the color of skin they saw on TV, they were aware and I just thought they accepted it like they did hair color differences. I just never guessed that in their own little minds they were attributing it to being on a TV show. They never asked about their cousins' green eyes and, for all I know, they thought they were aliens from Mars because of it. Kids are weird when they try to think up reasons for something they don't understand.

I am grateful to have never been taught that there is something inherently different about anyone because of their skin/gender/anything. My mom wouldn't even let us say "I got gyped" or "I got jewed" because of the negative connotations. If I had ever said a negative about skin color, I probably would have gotten spanked after getting my mouth washed with soap.

Mom recognized that my "chocolate man" comment was nothing more than a kidlet putting something new she encountered into an understanding equal to her experience. Too bad the school in this article lost out on a wonderful teaching moment and turned it into an ugly one.

**Tundratot** · February 19th, 2012, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by ohmarvellousme!

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. . . .

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’

What exactly does this admission cause to happen? Detention? Counselling? One strike on the road to prison? A permanent record of racist behavior causing the child to be forever banned from politics/public office/social service?

How about, if these things have long-term ramifications, we try to remember these are small children who are learning about their world and the culture they live in? Instead of looking for some punitive permanent record, you try to educate them. Answer their questions, give them exposure to plenty of different people. That's assuming they are actually racist or homophobic, but this kid's question was legitimate (if unwanted) and showed he had a grasp of the actual reason the child was "brown". Maybe he guessed wrong and the kid's ancestry was Indian, but so what? Kids can't always find the right words or most diplomatic way to ask a question, but that doesn't make them malicious.

**DamagedGoods** · February 19th, 2012, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I am grateful to have never been taught that there is something inherently different about anyone because of their skin/gender/anything. My mom wouldn't even let us say "I got gyped" or "I got jewed" because of the negative connotations. If I had ever said a negative about skin color, I probably would have gotten spanked after getting my mouth washed with soap.

Mom recognized that my "chocolate man" comment was nothing more than a kidlet putting something new she encountered into an understanding equal to her experience. Too bad the school in this article lost out on a wonderful teaching moment and turned it into an ugly one.

Same here, and I've always felt grateful to my parents that I was brought up that way. It took outside influences to learn that were people thought otherwise. :)

And I completely agree with the second part.

**malq** · February 19th, 2012, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tundratot

What exactly does this admission cause to happen? Detention? Counselling? One strike on the road to prison? A permanent record of racist behavior causing the child to be forever banned from politics/public office/social service?

How about, if these things have long-term ramifications, we try to remember these are small children who are learning about their world and the culture they live in? Instead of looking for some punitive permanent record, you try to educate them. Answer their questions, give them exposure to plenty of different people. That's assuming they are actually racist or homophobic, but this kid's question was legitimate (if unwanted) and showed he had a grasp of the actual reason the child was "brown". Maybe he guessed wrong and the kid's ancestry was Indian, but so what? Kids can't always find the right words or most diplomatic way to ask a question, but that doesn't make them malicious.

Homophobic! That has to be the dumbest term ever. I had to look up 'homophobic' and this is what the internets said:

Fear of or contempt for lesbians and gay men.

I know what fear means cause that's what makes twerps piss their pants when I'm in the room. But I looked up 'contempt' and it said:

The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior.

So, then I looked up 'inferior' and it said:

Lower in place, rank, value, excellence, etc
So, here is the definition of homophobic, translated into normal fuckin' words:

Fear of or the feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as lower in place, rank, value excellence, etc.

**CbabyRKO** · February 19th, 2012, 04:06 PM

The first time my niece saw my son (the little booger in my avatar picture looking like he OD'd on sugar his 1st Halloween) she wanted to know how come I a black person had a white baby lol. All I could say to her was: in the battle of the melanin his daddy (who is white) won! Which is fine with me coz he got all my best attributes my nose my lips and my brown eyes altho I wouldn't mind them being blue/green like his Dad. Altho he does have his daddy's long eye lashes :). I feel bad for this kid asking such an innocent question only to be treated like a little Hitler. Its what kids do. My niece when she could finally string together a coherent sentence wanted to know why white people weren't brown like her. All we told her was thats just the way God made them and left it at that. Hell some people see me my husband and son out together and they think I'm the girlfriend or the step-mom.

**Marv** · February 20th, 2012, 02:20 PM

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-incident.html

The mother of a schoolboy who was asked whether he was 'brown because he's from Africa' today blasted the school for turning the innocent question into a 'racist incident'.

Nicola Allen, whose son was four at the time of the incident, said the matter had been blown out of proportion after Griffin Primary School in east Hull launched an investigation into playground comments made by Elliott Dearlove.

She insists she never accused seven-year-old Elliott of being racist following the comment. She also says she believes the child is being unfairly treated.

As a result of the incident, Elliott’s mother, Hayley White, 29, says she received a phone call to say her son had been at the centre of a 'racist incident'.

But Ms Allen insisted she had never accused the child of being racist.

'Not at any point did I feel he was racist,' she said.

'He is seven years old. The race thing has come from the school. It is not the case that I said Elliott was racist.'
[...]

The row dates back to October when Ms Allen's son, who is of mixed race, came home from school upset. He said it was because another pupil had been asking if he was from Africa.

Ms Allen said: 'I sat him down and explained that he wasn't. I asked why he had asked this and his reply was that an older boy had said he was because he was brown.
[...]

'Initially, I tried to brush the comment aside but it happened again.

'But it was very distressing. Eventually, I spoke to his teacher about it, I asked if they could speak to the other child and explain to him he was not African.

'I want to stress most vehemently at no time have I ever accused this child of racism.

'My point was my son was only four at the time. All I wanted to do was protect him.'

Ms Allen said she believed the matter had been resolved after Christmas.

She said: 'The boy’s mother, Hayley, apologised to me and my son and I accepted her apology and that was the end of it as far as I was concerned.

'For me, the matter was dealt with.' She added that she had been hurt that some people believe she was behind the racism allegation.

Nicola Allen

**Obsolete** · February 20th, 2012, 02:37 PM

It's nice to see that both mothers were able to see this for what it was, a child being inquisitive.

**nopatience** · February 20th, 2012, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by Obsolete

It's nice to see that both mothers were able to see this for what it was, a child being inquisitive.

It's so sad that there's always some attention whore looking to make a mountain out of a molehill.

**nopatience** · February 20th, 2012, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by sheevaa

Silly @nopatience, everyone knows it's not racist if you insult a white person :P

Finally near my computer :)

And you're right. How very naive of me!!

**cubby** · February 20th, 2012, 02:54 PM

My younger son, Corey, was about 3 or 4 and his daddy was taking him to the babysitter's one morning. Another man, Mr. Jenkins, ( a really nice, black man) usually rode to work with my ex-husband. This morning, right before Corey was taken inside, he looked over at Mr. Jenkins touched him on the hand and said, "you black", Mr. Jenkins said, "No I'm not", and Corey said ,"yes, you are". Mr. Jenkins then turned his hand over and said , "No, I'm not".

Mr. Jenkins thought it was funny and considered the source of the question, a little curious boy. This school lost a big chance to teach that all kinds of people come from all kinds of places and sometimes the answers can be unexpected.

**malq** · February 20th, 2012, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by sheevaa

Silly @nopatience, everyone knows it's not racist if you insult a white person :P

Funny you said that, i was just talking with a black friend on the front page. I asked her how is it that blacks can use the word nigger and white people can't. Then I asked just what you said. Why is it racism if a black person gets called a nigger but it is seemingly harmless when a black calls a white cracker.
I was not prepared for her answer. She said she didn't understand why white people would want to use that word. I had no reply for her. She was right. The only reason you would use it is to insult someone, or if you were trying to talk black..
Then she said The word nigger had a history while cracker doesn't

**Silvahalo** · February 20th, 2012, 06:29 PM

Who the hell kind of people are running our schools? really? morons.
Well, if this 7yo had no idea what the word "racists" means, he does now.
This was blown completely out of context. My 8yo asks me often about people on their, color, size, the way they walk, talk, etc. I answer his questions and tell him he can always ask ME or his father but some might not like being asked. He was puzzled why someone might get upset if he said he liked their "color" or why they used a wheel chair instead of their legs. I told him that some people don't see color like children do. He asked if they were color blind, lol---diff. use of the phrase.

My 2nd grader attends a school that is almost all Latino children (just the way it worked out), very few African American's and now a sprinkling of Caucasian. He was excited as he came home recently said, he had a new boy in his class that was "kinda like beige". He said, he wants a friend from every color, one color "is so boring mama, SO boring. Do you know any green people? I love green". . . ha, ha!

Kids are innocent of things like racism. Taking that innocence away over making such an innocent question convoluted, is sad, and so wrong.

**sheevaa** · February 20th, 2012, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by malq

Funny you said that, i was just talking with a black friend on the front page. I asked her how is it that blacks can use the word nigger and white people can't. Then I asked just what you said. Why is it racism if a black person gets called a nigger but it is seemingly harmless when a black calls a white cracker.
I was not prepared for her answer. She said she didn't understand why white people would want to use that word. I had no reply for her. She was right. The only reason you would use it is to insult someone, or if you were trying to talk black..
Then she said The word nigger had a history while cracker doesn't

It's not that anyone rational would want to use it, it's more the fact of the double standard of racism. Like that one white woman that was attacked by the 4 black women. They were calling her names like white bitch, etc...and it wasn't considered a hate crime. (Sorry, I don't recall exactly what story it was). Guarantee if it was the other way around it would have been major news and the race card would be flying.

Yes, I get that white people have definitely been dicks and there is still a lot of racism happening in the world. My problem is that all the walking on eggshells to avoid being labelled a racist is getting ridiculous. I'm tired of white guilt; too bad, I haven't done a damn thing to anyone and I'm not going to feel bad because one of my ancestors MIGHT have. Time to toss the race card in the garbage already, it's been way overplayed.

Okay, rant done now, carry on.

**malq** · February 20th, 2012, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by sheevaa

It's not that anyone rational would want to use it, it's more the fact of the double standard of racism. Like that one white woman that was attacked by the 4 black women. They were calling her names like white bitch, etc...and it wasn't considered a hate crime. (Sorry, I don't recall exactly what story it was). Guarantee if it was the other way around it would have been major news and the race card would be flying.

Yes, I get that white people have definitely been dicks and there is still a lot of racism happening in the world. My problem is that all the walking on eggshells to avoid being labelled a racist is getting ridiculous. I'm tired of white guilt; too bad, I haven't done a damn thing to anyone and I'm not going to feel bad because one of my ancestors MIGHT have. Time to toss the race card in the garbage already, it's been way overplayed.

Okay, rant done now, carry on.

Omg I wished I could copy paste that as my reply, but that would be plagiarism. You know what? fuckit. I was never known for high morals.

ETA. I did it. thanks Sheevaa, that's how I have always felt but was never able to say it so perfectly. I always come off as a ..:p

Curious how she will respond, here's the link if you want to follow it. Actually it is an awesome story.
http://www.dreamindemon.com/2012/02/...#disqus_thread

**62julietandvoid** · February 20th, 2012, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by malq

Funny you said that, i was just talking with a black friend on the front page. I asked her how is it that blacks can use the word nigger and white people can't. Then I asked just what you said. Why is it racism if a black person gets called a nigger but it is seemingly harmless when a black calls a white cracker.
I was not prepared for her answer. She said she didn't understand why white people would want to use that word. I had no reply for her. She was right. The only reason you would use it is to insult someone, or if you were trying to talk black..
Then she said The word nigger had a history while cracker doesn't

In a chat room long long ago there were some people (a few blacks and a few whites) going back and forth with racist shit. I remember one chick telling someone else to fuck off, that cracker didn't mean shit as "cracker" as reference to "cracking the whip" during slavery. Not sure if that is true, just some conversation I have remembered all these years.

**Marv** · February 20th, 2012, 07:46 PM

Originally Posted by Alf

What a can of worms Ms. Harvey-Samuel opened with that statement--Al

Vanessa Harvey-Samuel, head of localities and learning at Hull City Council, said: ‘There is a statutory duty to report any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person.’

@Alf A while ago I read an article on conduct in the workplace. In it, it said that - say for instance - a couple of people were chatting, or telling a joke, if another person took offence at what was said, then they could put in a complaint (perceived racism/sexism/ageism or any other ism I've missed). Even if none of the actual people involved in the discussion/joke were offended, if the person overhearing it took offence, or thought it might be offensive to someone else, then they could complain and the employer was duty-bound to investigate and possibly take action. I thought the same as you - a can of worms. Where does it end?

That was just covering the workplace but it looks like schools are bound by the same legislation.

I've looked, but can't find the article (it was in the Daily Mail, I know that).

But to me, it seems like it's the SCHOOL which has taken offence in this incident. The 'victim's' mother simply asked the school to educate the children that her child was not from Africa. Instead of taking that simple step, the school decided a 'racist comment' had been made, and it all gets blown out of proportion. Political Correctness gone mad.

It reminds me of that South Park episode, when the Nativity play was banned for being offensive to Jewish people. And then there was a big cleanse of anything to do with Xmas which anybody found offensive (mistletoe, fairy lights, stars etc!).

South Park gets it right every time!

**Obsolete** · February 20th, 2012, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by 62julietandvoid

In a chat room long long ago there were some people (a few blacks and a few whites) going back and forth with racist shit. I remember one chick telling someone else to fuck off, that cracker didn't mean shit as "cracker" as reference to "cracking the whip" during slavery. Not sure if that is true, just some conversation I have remembered all these years.

That's one theory for where ther term "cracker" came from. Another is that it was used to describe poor, uneducated white people from the South.

There are other definitions but I don't know them.