Accused of racism at university. Please help!

Lol.

Classic university ********.

No way she would have given a damn if you were female saying the same thing either. Because females are never aggressively malicious.

lol, explain it as it is. Say you were just curious as to what the accent was and you no intention of being racist. Be firm, dont apologise for anything and ask why it was turned into such a big deal.

If you wanna go overboard threaten to sue the uni for defamation

Explain what you said and how you meant it in the meeting, and relax: universities do not kick students out for asking someone where they are from and having once drank too much.

I am a girl :/

Hello,

I have a very serious situation at my university. I was emailed by my university a short while ago stating that I have been accused of making a racist remark to one of my lecturers. I'm now being investigated and I have to have a meeting with some committee next week. I'm so scared and I'm here looking for some advice.

We were studying the Holocaust and genocide and, as part of the module, we have to watch a film. On the night of the film the lecturer had difficulty getting the DVD to work and asked for some help. No one got up to help so I volunteered to go up and try to help. Whilst trying to get it to work I tried to make conversation with the lecturer. I asked the lecturer where her accent was from and at that moment the DVD started to work. She curtly responded by would I want or need to know that? I was a bit taken aback as at uni with all the different nationalities and accents I thought this was quite a normal topic of conversation when getting to know someone new. I kinda just blurted her the truth; myself and my friends had been discussing it at dinner and none of us could quite put our finger on her accent. She bluntly said what is your name. I told her my first name and she said "no, I want your full name". She wrote it down and stormed out of the lecture hall leaving the film playing.

I was a bit shocked but didn't think that much of it. I sat and watched the film. Now I've recieved this email and I really don't know what to do. I'm terrified I'll be kicked out for racism. I honestly asked the question very innocently and didn't mean to be racist. I don't know what she has told them but it is obviously going to be my word against hers and I know universities are very strict about this kind of thing, so they will likely talk her side over mine.

I'm so worried. I have another meeting next week as well because last term I drank a too much and passed out (obviously didn't know my limit which was incredibly stupid, and I won't be doing it again) so I'm in thin ice as it is seemingly.

Please, if you can, give me some advice. I'm such a mess right now and can't imagine the humiliation of being kicked out of university for being racist.

Thank you if you read all of this, I really appreciate it.

Just to clarify, you have been accused of racism for asking somebody about their accent?

What a time to be alive.

The conversation topic might've been crossing the line a bit, in the case that you've barely just met the lecturer, but still her reaction was uncalled for. You know you weren't intentionally being racist so, when the meeting rolls around, tell them the truth. She can't just lie and say something like "they spat in my face and told me to leave the country", nah at most she'd have given her interpretation of how the incident played out. That's why they're calling the meeting: to see your side of things. They'll take your views into consideration.

Thank you for your advice. I'll see how the meeting goes I guess. I was thinking of getting legal advice if they threaten to kick me out

Hello,

I have a very serious situation at my university. I was emailed by my university a short while ago stating that I have been accused of making a racist remark to one of my lecturers. I'm now being investigated and I have to have a meeting with some committee next week. I'm so scared and I'm here looking for some advice.

We were studying the Holocaust and genocide and, as part of the module, we have to watch a film. On the night of the film the lecturer had difficulty getting the DVD to work and asked for some help. No one got up to help so I volunteered to go up and try to help. Whilst trying to get it to work I tried to make conversation with the lecturer. I asked the lecturer where her accent was from and at that moment the DVD started to work. She curtly responded by would I want or need to know that? I was a bit taken aback as at uni with all the different nationalities and accents I thought this was quite a normal topic of conversation when getting to know someone new. I kinda just blurted her the truth; myself and my friends had been discussing it at dinner and none of us could quite put our finger on her accent. She bluntly said what is your name. I told her my first name and she said "no, I want your full name". She wrote it down and stormed out of the lecture hall leaving the film playing.

I was a bit shocked but didn't think that much of it. I sat and watched the film. Now I've recieved this email and I really don't know what to do. I'm terrified I'll be kicked out for racism. I honestly asked the question very innocently and didn't mean to be racist. I don't know what she has told them but it is obviously going to be my word against hers and I know universities are very strict about this kind of thing, so they will likely talk her side over mine.

I'm so worried. I have another meeting next week as well because last term I drank a too much and passed out (obviously didn't know my limit which was incredibly stupid, and I won't be doing it again) so I'm in thin ice as it is seemingly.

Please, if you can, give me some advice. I'm such a mess right now and can't imagine the humiliation of being kicked out of university for being racist.

Thank you if you read all of this, I really appreciate it.

Just to clarify, you have been accused of racism for asking somebody about their accent?

What a time to be alive.

Quite, but you only have one side of the story.

That was hardly racist. Perhaps you didn't phrase it in the best of ways, but it shouldn't go far enough for an official complaint to be made.

Write down your side of the story, stick to it, and don't give them any room to bait you into admitting anything you didn't do (the classic "just admit and we'll make this go away", "are you sure that this is the whole story?" sort of questions)

Thank you for your advice. The thing is I have met her before. We had quite a long conversation during the welcome week. I thought considering we knew eachother a bit it would be okay. Clearly she had completely forgotten me though.