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  1. #1

    Question Indirectly Accused Of Racism

    My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: TEXAS

    I am a white female. I work with an African-American man, who is most likely going to be my supervisor in the near future.

    We have never gotten along since day one. Our personalities are simply 180 degrees apart. We have had discussions, alone and with our joint manager, about our issues with each other, but no real headway has been made. Having said that, our "headbutting" has always remained in relation to our jobs and out of the personal realm.

    After receiving an email from him today which insinuated (in my mind) that I wasn't performing up to par job-wise, I decided to make one last effort to build bridges with him. We did make some headway, but there was one part of the exchange that is continuing to bug me. At one point, he told me, "You told me from the beginning you have issues with me, but you couldn't give me a reason why. I'm wondering if it's something deeper. Let me ask you: Do you have a problem with African-Americans?". I thankfully kept my cool and told him that no, I don't have a problem with African-Americans; I get along well with the other African-Americans at work and had an African-American as my "big sister" in my sorority. He told me that "being friends with African-Americans isn't the same as working for them". My response was "I have no more an issue working for you because you're African-American than you would working for me because I'm a woman." He told me he wasn't trying to play the minority card and then changed the subject. I do not believe anyone else overheard this exchange.

    I feel as though he indirectly accused me of being a racist, and as an employee, that greatly concerns me. I take great pride in my job and definitely do not want such an accusation to follow me in this company. He had this same exchange with a former direct report of his; two weeks later she was mysteriously called to HR, and about a month after that, she ended up resigning suddenly. I am truly afraid that the same will happen to me, and I am definitely scared at what could happen if I worked under him. I want to say something to our HR department or to our joint manager, but I don't know what to say or how to bring it up. I was never directly called a racist by him. Is being accused of racism considered discrimination? Any kind of formal grievances/claims/lawsuits are definitely a last resort...I'd much rather work this out first. At this point, my ultimate request is to be transferred out of this team, but there is no equivalent position within the company so I'm not sure that would be possible.

    Any advice at all would be much appreciated!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
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    Toledo, OH
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    Default Re: Indirectly Accused Of Racism

    Is being accused of racism considered discrimination?
    No.

    Discrimination would be if you were passed over for promotion/fired/denied company opportunities because you're a woman.

    Being asked if you have problems with race is not. It's just a question - granted, an offensive one if you're not racist, but just a question all the same.
    I want to say something to our HR department or to our joint manager, but I don't know what to say or how to bring it up.
    "Hi Fluffy Bunny HR Person. I have a concern. John and I don't really mesh well, and he seems to think it's because he's black.

    This upsets me, because I truly do not care that he is black. We are simply very strong, very different personalities, and while I respect his abilities and contributions to our team, I think it would be better for all of us if I could be transferred to a different team so our differences with each other don't undermine our productivity."

    There, that wasn't so bad, was it?

    Of course, if there are no other positions available, Fluffy Bunny HR Person may tell you to suck it up, buttercup, and get on with your day, but you're still in a better position if you go to HR first.

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