This happens when people can't possibly see that white people actually can cause problems. This has happened in my work experiences, too, where it's the fact that I vocalize a problem, even if everyone else knows it is happening, I am the problematic one. I had this experience with a white vice president while I was the president of a mostly white institution. When the VP said she would "get her lawyer" when I told her to resign after she left the country, without explanation, at the start of her term, people said we should "giver her a hug" and "not be dry" with her, and "maybe she was having a bad day."