Teacher being unkind to racist student.

We got a new student a couple months ago. They are white and the teacher and other aide in the room are black. This is a LIDS (low incidence disabilities) room, so all the kids have some type of disability. I am an aide and white as well. The student got into an argument with the other aide and told her they didn’t like black people and neither did their mom and that’s why they wanted me to give them their spelling test and not the black aide. They then began crying because they worried the aide would confront their mom and ask her if the family was racist. I talked to the student about this and told them they need to apologize because disliking someone for their skin color is a horrible thing and what they said was mean.

The aide then told the teacher who was already having some difficulty with the student as far as misbehavior and laziness concerning classwork. The past couple days, the teacher has been making comments to and about this student in front of them and the other students, who laugh. For example, the teacher said, “For the most part I’m proud of you guys… except you, (student’s name.) I’m disappointed. Do better when we come back from the break.” She has also said, “Why are you asking her for a cookie? You don’t like her.” When they asked the black aide for a Chips Ahoy cookie as she was passing them out to students for our Christmas party. I can tell the student is embarrassed and wants her to stop.

The teacher already bought all the students an individual gift and told this student that she shouldn’t have gotten them anything because they don’t deserve it. While I understand that racism is awful and I do not condone their beliefs, I think it is a little unfair that the teacher is essentially bullying an 11 year old who obviously learned this belief at home. They lived in a very white state before moving here and they are not used to being around people who aren’t white. I do not believe this student fully knows how to interact with kids of a different race than them. To me, I’d be trying to treat this student as kindly as possible to show them their belief is false. Kill them with kindness sort of thing so they will come to understand on their own racism is a bad thing, through positive experiences with people of other races. Instead, their racism is just being cemented through this negative experience I fear.

Should I say something to the principal? This is a very delicate matter and I don’t know what to do.

Edit: This student is in the life skills self-contained classroom. They can’t just be “moved” to another teacher. I am also appalled that people are telling me I’m an apologist for racism??? WTF?! Did you miss the part where I told the student to apologize because what they said was bad? This student has said a lot of things that are off the wall that make me believe that their family is nutty.

Edit 2: Wow. So many of you are being extremely unreasonable and assuming shit. I can’t believe you’re allowed to teach. Your poor students have a moron for a teacher. If you’re not an educator then THANK GOD but I don’t know why you’re commenting. You’re about as sharp as a marble.

Edit 3: I have known this teacher for years. She was MY principal when I was a student at the school I work at. She was known to always have her paddle ready and wasn’t very lenient with the students in general. She has a paddle she uses on the life skills students as well, saying she’s “old school” and will get through to them one way or another as long as the parents/guardians have agreed to it. Her expectations are quite high and she runs a tight ship.