Another teacher, Charlotte Moore, was fired from her job as a Year 6 teacher at Trinity St Mary’s Primary School in Chelmsford after she called her pupils “chattering monkeys”. Moore then took the school to an employment tribunal for unfair dismissal. But the tribunal ruled the school’s decision was appropriate, and said Moore’s comment was racist and “gross misconduct.” This article will go into detail about the case, highlighting the arguments for each side and the tribunal’s final decision.
The Incident
The March 2023 incident occurred while Moore was attempting to quiet her class. In an exasperated moment, she called the children “like a flock of chattering monkeys.” Parents of the students expressed concern about the comment, which they described as “very racist” and potentially a hate crime, considering the racial diversity in the class. As a result, the school opened a disciplinary investigation, interviewing about half of the 30 children in Moore’s class to understand the teacher’s behavior.
The Tribunal Hearing
Moore said her termination was unjustified, and that the claims made against her were “malicious and untrue”. She also argued that the school’s investigation process was flawed. But the tribunal ruled the school had ample basis to dismiss her. Moore had also told the class they were “getting on her nerves so much she wants to shoot herself or them”,” the tribunal heard. Her words and actions were deemed unfit for a teacher.
The Verdict
The tribunal ruled that Moore’s comment about “chattering monkeys” was racist, taking into account the racial diversity of the class as well as the way the comment was perceived by parents and pupils. The tribunal also considered Moore’s remark about wishing to “shoot herself or them,” actions which compounded the teacher’s misconduct.
Final Thought
It also makes a salient point about the need for teachers to be judicious with the way they use their language, especially in the classroom. A comment can be discriminatory and not racist but still be problematic and warrant discipline. In this case, the tribunal found that Moore’s comment was racist and that her dismissal was justified.
