Racism

On March the 8th, I gave my third test to my 11 O’clock Intro Psychology class. Several days after the graded test was returned, my division director told me that a student in that class, a Ms. Charlotte Webb (not her real name), came to him complaining that I had used the wrong grading master on her test since she was sure she got an A and the graded test was an F. My director asked that I confirm that I had used the correct key with Ms. Webb’s test. I did so.

Friday, March 17th, Ms. Webb approached me after class and said that she knew that she had got an A on test three, but that I had returned to her a test that had a grade of F, and what was I going to do about it? I told her she could come to my office and look at the test and the key if she wished. She then said “Why are all the black people in this class getting Fs?” Ms. Webb is black. I said I had no way of knowing what a person’s race was in a class of 40, and didn't know if blacks were getting Fs or not, but I told her the electronic grading machine was completely color blind. She then said “I know why your wife left you. You're gay.” I said, “So I'm a gay racist?’ She said yes, I was. I told her it was in her best interests to drop the class and she replied “Why doesn’t your mother drop the class?” I told her my mother was dead. Ms. Webb then said “I wish YOU were dead too.” She stormed out of the class and then came back long enough to shout “Your dog is better than you are.”

Hypothesis one: Ms. Webb used an old exam to cheat on test three and thus can’t understand why she got an F when she fully expected an A.

Hypothesis two: Ms. Webb is a seriously disturbed paranoid.

I have observed that when I have a conflict with a white student, it is said that I have a conflict with a student. When I have a conflict with a black student, it is said I’m a racist.