Teen Interrogated for Six Hours for Allegedly Making Racist Remark

From the Manchester Evening News:

A TEENAGE girl was questioned by police after allegedly making a racist remark to Asian students in the classroom.

The 14-year-old pupil had refused to take part in a science tutorial with five other students at Harrop Fold High School, Salford, after claiming they didn't speak English.

After questioning by police she was released without charge but the school say they are investigating the matter.

Her mother said: "She was not being racist. She was in a science lesson and the teacher split them up into discussion groups.

"She asked to be taken out of her group because the other five students were Asians and four didn't speak English so there was no point in her being with them. When she pointed this out to the teacher she was accused of being racist.

"The matter was referred to the community police officer based at the school and she was taken to the police station and kept in custody for over six hours while they questioned her."

Head Dr Antony Edkins said: "An allegation of a serious nature was made concerning a racially motivated remark by one student towards a group of Asian students new to the school and this country."

First off, dragging a fourteen year old to police custody for allegedly making "racist" remarks seems over the top. Let's see what could have happened here:

The fourteen year old girl, presumably a British subject and of Anglo heritage, is put in a group with five Muslims for a school project, making her the minority. Later she asks the teacher to be re-assigned to another group, complaining that the Muslims don't speak English. I wonder if her teammates REFUSED to speak English and spoke their native language in front of her, making HER the outsider of the group. This rudeness, coupled with isolation, made the girl wish for a transfer. She probably used the lame excuse that they didn't speak English. I'm willing to bet they ostracized her. Any takers?

(H/T The Brussels Journal.)