Woman Humiliates Racist Coworker: “Everyone Got Uncomfortable”

When a company employs you, your job is more than just logging into your computer and attending meetings. You’re also expected to contribute to the workplace’s culture, which can be really difficult if you’re surrounded by toxic people!

A few days ago, Reddit user Relevant_Ad6975 made a post on r/TraumatizeThemBack describing the recent exchange she had with a particularly rude colleague.

He wouldn’t stop making racist comments about her—or as he called them, jokes. However, after the woman finally had enough and replied in the same tone, the guy immediately complained to management.

This woman got sick and tired of her colleague’s racist remarks

Woman in an office looking stressed, sitting at a desk with a coffee cup and gadgets.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)

She decided to start speaking to him in his own “language”

Text describing a workplace conflict involving subtle racist comments from a coworker.

Text describing subtle racist comments escalating to offensive remarks about diversity quotas.

Man in a blue shirt laughing in an office meeting, sitting next to a coworker with a laptop and coffee mug.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)

Text screenshot of a coworker's savage response to a racist remark at work.

Text in image describes a tense response to a racist coworker's joke, highlighting discomfort in the room.

Person in white shirt eating lunch at a desk with a laptop, notebook, and glasses nearby.

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual image)

Text exchange between coworkers discussing a man's humiliation after a workplace incident.

Image credits: Relevant_Ad6975

Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)

Racism has no place; not just in the workplace, but anywhere in the world

According to a 2024 study of almost 3,000 employees, 85% of people have worked with at least one annoying colleague at some point in their career. The most common ones are:

1. The credit stealer (33%): They undermine team spirit and create an environment where it’s unsafe to share new ideas and people feel undervalued.
2. The micromanager (32%): The person who just can’t let go and constantly hovers over your work. It’s hard to feel capable and motivated when they’re always second-guessing your every move. Their presence often leads to resentment and can take a serious toll on productivity.
3. The chronic complainer (30%): These people can find a downside to even the best situations, and their constant negativity can become infectious, spreading gloom and lowering team morale.
4. The personal space intruder (30%): We value our independence, especially in a busy setting. However, some seem to constantly find a way to make the workplace feel stressful and intrusive.
5. The lunch thief (27%): The sheer audacity of swiping someone else’s food makes the lunch thief a particularly frustrating presence in the workplace.

Racism, on the other hand, isn’t just an office issue—it has no place in our society at all. Still, the Gallup Center on Black Voices found that about one in four Black (24%) and Hispanic employees (24%) in the U.S. report having been discriminated against at work in the past year.

Nika White, a Greenville, S.C.-based anti-racist activist who runs her own diversity and inclusion consulting company, believes that racial micro-aggressions are particularly problematic in workplaces.

“Numerous workers are encountering subtle micro-aggressions that leave them feeling confused, hurt, angry, and deflated without anyone to talk to because the ‘aggression’ seems small,” she explained. “Those seemingly small interactions that come from stereotyping and assumptions have a lasting physical and mental impact but are harder to identify and recognize, especially when workplaces exhibit institutional racism by not having policies and processes to prohibit and punish racism.”

Racial trauma can result in symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression as well as physical problems including stomachaches, headaches, and a rapid heartbeat.

As her story went viral, the woman provided more information on the conflict

Discussion about a conflict with a coworker, featuring advice and reactions on handling a racist comment at work.

Racist man in online comment discussion about coworker and workplace issues.

Reddit conversation about coworker conflict and advice on handling management issues.

People were happy to hear the guy got a taste of his own medicine

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a response to a racist man's actions.

Comment advising coworker on addressing racist man to HR for harassment pattern.

Comment addressing casual racism and supporting standing up for oneself in the workplace.

Comment on coworker's response to an insult, highlighting the turnaround against the offender who reacts poorly.

Reddit comment questioning professionalism, gaining significant upvotes.

User humorously questions management after coworker's insult, seeking clarification in writing.

Email to HR about handling racist coworker's comments, seeking advice on workplace hostility.

Advice on addressing a coworker's racist comments, suggesting responses management can't oppose.

Comment on a forum discussing a racist man's interaction with a coworker.

Comment highlights the irony of a man's reaction to a coworker's savage response.

Comment supporting response to racist insult in workplace discussion thread.

A text exchange discussing workplace diversity and quick-witted responses to racism.

Comment about people unable to take criticism, using Macy's Parade balloon analogy.

Text comment discussing workplace dynamics and responding to cruelty.

Reddit comment about a legendary comeback after racially insulting a coworker.

Text exchange about professionalism and response to a coworker's behavior.

Text from a comment discussing a situation involving a man's reaction to his coworker's response.

Text reads "Got em!" from user tinynugget, expressing satisfaction in response to a racist man's complaint.

Comment about a workplace conflict involving a coworker's feelings of humiliation.

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!