I guess...

It's anti-racist's racism.

If you think a name is silly just because you can't pronounce it, you are a racist. This is the main essence in the whole episode. Saying that gives the impression of you that you consider everything silly that is not a part of your own culture. You can argue against this and say that you didn't mean it that way. Or use any other arguments against this, but the fact remains that saying what you said makes you look like a racist.

I only called the name silly, because the 1st name had 7 letters and the surname had 15 letters. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that the name was silly, I was silly for not being able to pronounce it. But to have an official complaint put in, over the situation is going to far. Directly talk to me about it, talk to my boss, talk to the student representative. I feel that by going to the head of department, they are scape-goating me.

@Johan Halmén:
It was a poor choice of words, that came out sounding racist. They are well within their rights to complain to the head. The department will investigate, and find that I am not racist. I might be stupid, but not racist.

Some international students (of all races), feel that by paying $94,000usd a year are entitled to be waited on hand and foot. When the staff just do the work they are paid to do, and don't bend or break rules for students, that they deserve contempt. If I had of just asked them to leave and only had my students in the lab, this wouldn't have come up. Yet again a good indication that I am stupid.

A teacher can't call a students name "silly". That is just not right. Your students are right to be upset.

You could be right theoretically about not being a racist, but that doesn't matter. It is your image that matters. You're going to get a really negative image over this if you don't apologize immediately. If you fight this, you'll lose serious standing.

edit: I commented on Skips but nevermind, I see you're Australian yourself.

The thing you have to watch out for is that now you have two complaints to worry about. The administration is going to wonder if there is a pattern.

You should have mentioned you asked all students that were not part of the class to leave. Because you mentioned race, someone could read more than you intend into that statement.

Remember, in most countries nowadays racism or perceived racism, political incorrectness, ageism, sexual discrimination and tax evasion are far worse crimes than murder.

Yes, but apparently being a child molester trumps them all. The perceived order of wrongness these days is as such: child molester, racist, murderer, everything else.

Noting that a student's name is "silly" may be unprofessional, but calling it racism is out of the question.

Nope.

Hmm....Nope. That would make you a jerk at that point.

Racist means you blindly hate a race or religion for no reason (look at the KKK, they hated Blacks, Jews, and all non-white groups just cause they thought Whites were going to be a super race). Sadly, racism is everywhere.

Timorg, I don't think you are racist, but I think your Indian students may be racist themselves. After all two years in a row with Indian students reporting you both times. If I was the head and dean I'd take that into consideration.

A teacher can't call students/their names silly? Where is this world coming to? Well, if you think that is too much, I won't even begin to talk about what happens in our classroom. 'Silly' is a compliment, I have been called many things, and others in my class too (by the teacher), we laughed, the teacher laughed, we all laughed.

We didn't go complain, we took it with humor...

Indian Over-sensitive pussies.

@Timorg:What about the attacks going on,on Indians(and maybe students of other nationality too) in Australia.What would you call that?

Timorg felt that the name was silly because 1st name had seven letters and surname 15 letters.I don't think there is any kind of limit on number of letters one should have in their name.Moreover, people have the names of grandpas or fathers as their surname.So,don't feel the names to be silly.Someone's name may look weird to some one else.
Finally i would call this incident as a consequence of communication gap between the sir and his students.