Ostracised by his peers, a Naparima College student who recorded the now controversial discussion one of his teachers engaged in with a Form Five class, has again made a recording, this time confessing what he did and apologising to the school and his colleagues.
The remorseful young man, in a ten-minute recording he sent to colleagues on What's App asking for their understanding, said he took full responsibility for recording the violent and homophobic rant of the teacher who also criticised the way her colleagues dressed but he did not take responsibility for making it public.
He said his trust was betrayed by a colleague, whom he trusted to listen and give a perspective but who instead posted it online.
"I shouldn't have recorded it but it happened and certain repercussions occurred but it wasn't my fault. I understand the source was me but the negative effects of that is not my responsibility. That happened. We can't change it now even though I wish I could."
He said the intention was not to use the information to bring the teacher into disrepute and subject her to all kinds of condemnatory remarks but to engage her in a later conversation as he disagreed with some of the perspectives she offered.
"I knew she would listen. That is why I did it. So I started to record... not really because I wanted to put it up publicly but because I am a person I have very bad short-term memory and I only listen through visual cues so I can't pick up things."
He said he had planned to review the recording over the weekend and talk to her on the Monday from a teacher to student perspective.
He said he decided to share the conversation with a colleague, "who is on the other side of the table, who is openly homosexual as (name called)."
He said he asked him to listen to it and give him a feedback and trusted him to do just that.
The Form Five student said as soon as he heard about the online audio of his recording last week Sunday, he immediately confessed to his parents and the school's administration but was advised not to respond or say anything "even though it really hurt me not to do so and tell you that I did it. That's why my parents say, that's what admin say and I could not disrespect them."
Calling on his peers to understand where he was coming from and talk to him he said whatever their reaction, he would take it neither negatively or positively but treat them with the respect they deserved.
"Come and tell me what going on and we could talk it through.
"This is something we need to learn and take something out of. No matter how big or small, no matter good intent or bad intent, you should never ever react impulsively on emotions. Sometimes emotions take over logic," he said.
