Charlotte Moore, a Year 6 teacher at Trinity St Mary's School in Chelmsford, Essex, was dismissed after being accused of making racist remarks, a tribunal revealed. Her usage of the term "chattering monkeys" to calm her "diverse" class was the main source of controversy and caused a great deal of anger among parents. Quickly after, there were complaints, with several parents calling the comment "very racist."
Police looked into the event, but they quickly came to the conclusion that Moore's remark was not meant to be a racist insult, despite its controversy. After concluding that her remarks were meant at the class as a whole rather than at any particular kid, the police did not declare the comment to be a hate crime.
The accusations against Moore, nevertheless, did not stop there when she used the term "chattering monkeys." More allegations surfaced, including physical abuse of pupils by the "very strict" instructor. She was accused of shaking one student and grabbing the back of the neck of another in these accusations. Moore was also charged with "jokingly" threatening to shoot a pupil if they persisted in causing disruptions in class.
The school opened an internal inquiry in response to these claims. When fourteen of the thirty students in Moore's class were questioned, a large number of them admitted to having worry and panic. A few students brought up the fact that Moore had called them a "bunch of monkeys," raising doubts about her behavior in class.
Moore refuted all allegations of physical assault and threats made during the inquiry. Although she acknowledged saying, "You are like a bunch of chattering monkeys, quieten down and get on with your work," she maintained that her remarks were intended to be humorous. Moore justified her actions by claiming that she frequently used "overly dramatic statements" to control the atmosphere in the classroom.
Moore insisted otherwise, but in the end, the school opted to fire her due to egregious misbehavior. Using the word "monkey," particularly in a classroom with a diverse student body, was deemed unacceptable and may be interpreted as a racial slur. This was the reasoning behind the decision. Officials at the school said that their duty to protect the wellbeing of the students entrusted to their care justified what they were doing.
The panel, chaired by Employment Judge Suzanne Palmer, maintained Moore's dismissal from the school. Judge Palmer stressed in her decision that the school was required to look into the issues brought up by both parents and children. She mentioned that the ethnic variety of the class and the belief held by students and parents that Moore's remarks was discriminatory had a role in the school's decision to treat it seriously.
Judge Palmer did, however, also query whether Moore's termination for gross misconduct was justified by the occurrence alone. Before drawing such a decision, she indicated that a reasonable employer might have taken Moore's motivation into account. Nevertheless, the court recognized that other issues about Moore's behavior in the classroom also played a role in the school's decision, not only the "chattering monkeys" comment.