Life

'He Would Make Everything Sexual' – Students On Their Worst Teachers

People share stories of racism, sexual harassment and bullying from the people meant to educate and protect them.
An illustration of an angry teacher.
Photo: Ikon Images | Edited: VICE

This article originally appeared on VICE Germany.

For many, school can bring back painful memories – and not just those of embarrassment or heartbreak. Many people have a story about bullying, violence, racism or sexual harassment that occurred during their school years. Kids can be cruel and naive, but teachers can play a role too.

While the vast majority of teachers are there to help their students learn and develop, a few schools have that one teacher who creates a climate of fear in their classes, harasses the kids and abuses their power. And often it goes unresolved. Kids are usually fearful of taking action against their teachers; afraid their complaints won’t be heard or will only make things worse. Some have to change schools to escape the situation.

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Below, five people recall the abuse they received from teachers during their school years, and how it affected them.

Felicia*, 19 – ‘My teacher told my whole class about my depression’

I’d always enjoyed a normal relationship with my teachers. I was diligent and never got into trouble. The only mark against my name was that I missed a lot of days off sick, due to depression and insomnia. My mother had to call my teacher and tell him about my condition. Instead of keeping it to himself, he embarrassed me in front of the whole class, remarking that I was actually “just lazy”.

My friend told me what he’d done, and I was so ashamed. I put the blame on myself. Instead of criticising the teacher, I convinced myself that depression wasn't that bad and that I was just being weak. The next year, I switched schools. My new teacher was incredibly understanding, helped me study and even made house calls to check in on me. If I hadn't switched schools, I would never have overcome the self-loathing.

Jana*, 18 – ‘My teacher said I should put on a short skirt so that everyone would have something to laugh about’

My maths teacher targeted the girls. He eyed us up during class, touched our shoulders and stroked our thighs. When I was 16, we had to run up a flight of stairs for an experiment. Someone tripped during it and I laughed. When it was my turn, the teacher said I should put on a short skirt, so that "everyone would have something to laugh about”.

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He commented on my outfits all the time, so much so that I mainly wore baggy pants to avoid his attention. But he always found something to mention. When I had to hand in my mobile phone for an exam, he said: "I’d like to see what sort of pictures are on it." We reported him to the school management several times, without success. Instead, we faced punishments whenever we complained.

Sama*, 17 – ‘He was a straight up racist’

One of my teachers would take every opportunity to humiliate me. I was the only Black person in my class, and people would bully me for it. Whenever someone said something racist, I complained to the teacher. However, he never did anything because he shared the sentiments of my classmates.

He'd often shout at me, call me an “asylum seeker” and say I should consider myself lucky that he paid taxes for me and my family. When I was in English class, he said in front of everyone: "You're Black – how come you can’t even speak English?"

School wasn’t easy for me. He called my mother in, then used it as another opportunity to harass me. I’d get into shouting matches with him, but I never did anything more. I didn't want to burden my parents with it.

Lina*, 18 – ‘My teacher managed to turn anything into sexual innuendo’

One of our older teachers was known for always cracking unpleasant sexual innuendos. He managed to add a bit of smut to every subject he taught. Whenever he caught a girl chewing gum, he'd ask: “Spit or swallow?”

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Once, he showed the boys in the class a naked Venus figure and asked: "Well, guys, do you think she has terrible tits?" When we discussed a rape case in the newspaper, he said to a boy, "Be honest, you’d rape a woman too, if you felt like it." I made a complaint about it to the school administration. I've not got an answer yet.

Sandra*, 18 – ‘A teacher locked me in a dark room, because I was wearing three-quarter length trousers’

I go to a very religious school. We have a rule that girls are not allowed to wear shorts or skirts. This’s quite annoying, especially in summer, when it's hot outside. When I was 14, I ignored the rule one day and came into the school cafeteria wearing three-quarter length trousers. A teacher grabbed my arm and dragged me off the table. I tried pleading with her, but she dragged me to a broom closet and locked me there until lunch was over.

I cried the entire time I was in there. My friends were appalled, but we didn't want to report the incident because she was a popular teacher and we feared being marked down. In retrospect, I wish we’d done something about it.

*Names and details have been changed to maintain anonymity