I heard teachers at my special-needs daughter’s school call me a ‘horrible cow’ in a botched phone call – I’m disgusted
A MUM has been left outraged after hearing teachers at her daughter’s school refer to her as “horrible” and a “cow”.
The school has launched an internal investigation after the remarks were allegedly made during a phone call.
The disgusted parent heard the cruel comments when a member of staff from North Birmingham Academy in Birmingham rang to leave a message for her partner.
In an audio clip of the call, which was shared on social media, they can be heard calling the mum and her 14-year-old daughter, who has special needs, “horrible”.
It appears that the teacher thought they had ended the call before making the comments – but the line failed to disconnect.
In the clip, they can be heard saying the mum is “awful” and “a cow” while the girl’s dad is “reasonable but he has his moments”.
The mum told Birmingham Live: “It has left me feeling angry and demoralised.
“My daughter has been saying for months the teachers don’t like her and she was right.
“If she spoke about a teacher like that, she would be suspended.”
The call is understood to have been related to the fact that the teen had gone to school with white socks instead of black and without her tie.
This led to her being placed in isolation, claimed her mum, adding: “She was threatened with exclusion.
“Now she’s not accessing education as the teacher who did that has not been suspended.”
She also alleged that there had been a “catalogue of failures” by staff in the way her daughter was treated, including a pupil not receiving a suspension after attacking her.
The youngster was also allegedly told that she was using her special needs as an “excuse” for poor behaviour.
A spokesperson from E-ACT, which runs North Birmingham Academy and a string of other academies, said: “E-ACT North Birmingham Academy has high expectations of staff and takes seriously any incidents where these standards are not met.
“We have taken immediate action and launched an internal investigation into the matter. This will be handled through our usual HR processes.
“We understand that the comments have caused distress to the family involved and we have met with them to offer our apologies and support.
“We are committed to ensuring that every member of our school community feels safe, valued and respected.
“Whilst extremely rare, we take incidents such as these very seriously and will be taking steps to remind all staff members of the importance of treating everyone with respect and sensitivity.
“E-ACT North Birmingham Academy is a diverse and inclusive school, and we are proud of the relationships we have built with our families over the years.
“We will continue to work hard to maintain these relationships and to ensure that all members of our school community feel welcome and valued.