How do I deal with being called a racist at work?
Hi all, hope everyone is well. I'm a guy from the UK who manages a team in financial services. I've had my team for just over a year and my team has changed a lot in this time. Essentially I have gotten rid of two black males on my team because they were terrible at their jobs. Recently I promoted someone on my team, and a black female lost out. After missing out, she said I'm racist and said I have a dislike of black people based off what I've written down here.
The case has gone to HR which I'm not worried about since I can rationalise my decisions, but she made the accusation in front of colleagues I respect. I hate she has painted me this way because I do what's best for the business. Should I do anything to change my reputation because some colleagues have distanced themselves from me. One of my Nigerian colleagues who I considered a friend has distanced himself from me. Any advice?