In the staff room at the school, a colleague (Jan) is reading the paper. After reading an article about increases in funding for health and housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Jan makes a comment about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people "expecting Government handouts" and says that they "should stop living in the past". Jan always prefaces these comments with "I'm not a racist, but ...."

You notice another colleague, whom you know to be from an Aboriginal background, become upset and leave the room.

You know these are opinions that Jan has expressed before and that it seems to be deeply ingrained. Nobody else seems to mind this behaviour, and you are also aware that several other colleagues also agree with these views, even if they avoid saying it out loud in the presence of others. Sometimes, the staff room discussions get quite heated, with people using derogatory terms when making comments about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

You are working in a situation where you and your colleagues frequently work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families. Some of the staff are also of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

1. How do these opinions impact the way you carry out your work, both in working with your colleagues and with students and families in the community?

2. Have any laws been broken? Are there consequences of breaching any laws?

3. How do these attitudes impact the job role and mental health of the employee who left the room?

4. How would you follow up with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person who left the room after hearing the offensive comments? How would you address the potential needs of this person and the impacts of the discrimination they have experienced?

5. What resources or assistance can be accessed to support the organisation in resolving the issues identified within this scenario, as well as potentially planning to address ongoing difficulties if the behaviour continues?