- Teacher used doll to get students’ attention, but students found it disturbing and racist
- Incident evoked painful history of racist lynchings, traumatizing Black students
- Public backlash led to teacher’s immediate termination and potential disciplinary action
These teachers have gotten completely out of pocket!
A Hillsborough County (Florida) middle school teacher has been fired after a racist classroom incident involving a Black baby doll sparked outrage from students, parents, and the community at large. The controversy began when a student at Barrington Middle School in Lithia, Fla., recorded a video of art teacher Karen Savage allegedly wrapping a cord around the neck of a Black baby doll and hanging it from a classroom television. Additional footage later surfaced showing the teacher tossing the doll in the garbage while students reacted in shock.
According to multiple reports, the incident happened during class after students were allegedly not paying attention. Fourteen-year-old student Noah Carter said the teacher used the doll “to get their attention,” but students immediately recognized the disturbing imagery and called it “wrong and racist.” Carter said many students were visibly upset while Savage allegedly laughed off the criticism and claimed the act was a joke.
Joke? Joke deez.
The video quickly spread online after Carter’s mother, Nina Williams, shared it on social media. In her post, Williams condemned the display as hateful and traumatizing, arguing that it evoked the painful history of racist lynchings in the United States. She said children should not have to encounter imagery associated with racial terror while at school. Williams also expressed concern about the emotional impact on Black students and said the experience would stay with many of the children involved for a long time.
“They should not have to sit in the classroom and worry if they’re going to see images that can terrorize them for life,” said Hillsborough NAACP President Yvette Lewis. “If you don’t know your history, you’re bound to repeat it, and it was clear that this teacher did not know the history. Because if you knew your history and you knew what that meant and how it will invoke fear or intimidation to African Americans, you would have never done it.”
Public backlash intensified as the footage went viral, prompting Hillsborough County Public Schools to launch an investigation. Superintendent Van Ayres described the display as “unacceptable” and said it did not reflect the values of the district. Shortly afterward, school officials confirmed Savage’s employment had been terminated effective immediately. The district also reported the incident to Florida’s Department of Education Office of Professional Practice Services for possible disciplinary action against her teaching certificate.
School officials said counselors and administrators would remain available for students affected by the incident as the district continues addressing community concerns.
This lady should never be allowed to work with children ever again.
