Free speech row erupts as boy, 12, branded RACIST for repeating Roald Dahl joke found in school library: 'Afraid to speak!'

The Roald Dahl novel, which is a sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is available to pupils through the school library.

Andrey repeated the joke, originally written by Dahl, in front of a number of classmates, saying: “Why is it difficult to make telephone calls in China? Because there are so many Wings and so many Wongs, you might Wing the Wong number.”

Andrey’s father, Greg, told GB News: “They’ve killed all academic and comedic freedom.

“If you're grilling 12-year-old boys about jokes in books you approve, how are children supposed to walk that tightrope- knowing what they can and can’t say- without living in a constant climate of fear?”

The school initially contacted the father of six to inform him of the incident.

According to internal email correspondence seen by GB News, the Latin teacher described the comment as a “racist joke” and noted that Andrey had been kept behind and questioned by members of staff. A two-hour detention was subsequently issued.

In a follow-up email, the deputy head then appeared to misquote the joke, writing it as: “Why are Chinese people bad at ringing the phone?” He also said the "joke marginalises Chinese people by mocking their pronunciation of English words".

Greg said this altered the meaning significantly and unfairly portrayed the joke as an insult, rather than the wordplay it originally was, adding: “They deliberately twisted what he actually said to make it sound worse.”

He continued: “In reality, the joke is a play on last names- a kind of malapropism- since there are Chinese people with surnames like Wing and Wong. It’s similar to saying, ‘At my school, there are many teachers of colour: Mr Green, Mr Brown, Mr White, Mr Black, Mr Gray…’

"That wouldn't be considered a racist joke, would it? It’s simply wordplay involving English surnames that happen to be colours.”

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The father said his son was never given a proper explanation for why the joke was considered racist.

“He told me they kept saying, ‘You know why it’s racist. You know why it’s racist,’ but wouldn’t explain it,” he said.

“That’s not discipline, that’s intimidation. If you’re going to accuse a child of something that serious, you have to explain it. That’s just basic justice.”

In the email, the deputy head also wrote: “While this joke appears in a Roald Dahl book, its presence in literature does not make its use appropriate.”

Greg rejected that explanation, saying: “That’s indoctrination. If you're being told to read books and punished for having the wrong opinion about them, that’s not education.”

He went on to highlight what he sees as inconsistencies in how the school defines and polices offensive speech, arguing that Christian students are frequently subjected to blasphemous language from staff without any consequences.

“I’m a practising Catholic - my son’s an altar boy at Church. I hear from pupils that teachers regularly use expressions like ‘Jesus Christ’ or ‘Christ on a bike’ in class. That’s offensive to Christians. But nothing is done about that.”

Greg also highlighted the kind of teasing that often goes unchallenged, even when it’s rooted in a child’s cultural or family background.

He recounted how his son, who is of Ukrainian and Russian heritage, is regularly mocked at school with wordplay based on his surname.

Greg questioned whether such behaviour would ever be seen as discriminatory, saying: “Now, if he turned around and said, ‘That’s mocking where I come from,’ would they call it discrimination? Of course not. That’s just schoolyard banter. So where does this end?”

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He said the school is setting a dangerous precedent that discourages children from speaking openly, saying: “Another boy, his [Andrey's] friend, who’s a shy kid, said he’s constantly stressed about what he can and can’t say at school. They shouldn’t be afraid to speak.”

In response to the school, Greg said he would not permit Andrey to serve the detention unless the school could clearly explain how the joke was objectively harmful.

He believes the school is engaging in selective enforcement, influenced by political fashion.

“What I really hate with these people is the badgering. The kind of elitist, holier-than-thou attitude. They act like high priests of what you’re allowed to say and not say,” he added.

In their behaviour and antibullying policy, the Kent school outlines "significant unacceptable behaviours".

The policy states: "While outcomes are determined on a case by case basis, the following behaviour is regarded as completely unacceptable and will in most cases result in disciplinary actions at Level 3 / Level 4, including possible suspension or exclusion."

The list includes: "Significant inappropriate language including discriminatory racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, biphobic or other etc."

GB News approached the school for comment, but has yet to receive a reply.