[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A middle school art teacher in Florida (not pictured) has been fired after she hung a Black baby doll by the neck from a television in the classroom!
According to a Facebook post from the mom of a Barrington Middle School student in Hillsborough County who witnessed it, the disturbing incident happened on Monday. The teacher, confirmed by the district to the Tampa Bay Times as Karen Savage, is seen in a video throwing a Black baby doll with a cord around its neck over the TV before leaving it there to hang for the students to see. WTF.
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And when the kids “called out this blatant, disgusting act of hate and asked why she hung that doll by its neck,” you know what the mom claimed Karen did? The teacher allegedly didn’t apologize! Nope, the mother claimed Karen “laughed it off” before saying “she did it ‘to get their attention.’”
WHAT THE ACTUAL F**K!!!!!
Doing an act like that is not funny. It’s sickening. A classroom should feel safe for all students, and what that teacher just did was make it feel the exact opposite, especially for her students of color. She should be ashamed of herself! Hopefully she’ll no longer teach in schools because no child should be around someone who thinks hanging a baby doll is a humorous way to manage a classroom. What happened here is horrible, and our heart breaks for the kids who had to witness something so traumatic.
The mom went on to say that the children in the class were “all deeply offended and disturbed” by the blatant display of racism by their teacher and banded together to report her:
“This emotionally affected ALL the children in that classroom. My son’s friends of different cultures and races were all deeply offended and disturbed by this racist act. These kids stood united, grabbed evidence, and wrote official statements today. This is NOT a classroom management tool. This is straight up hate and trauma being weaponized in front of our children in a place where they are supposed to be safe.”
You can see the shocking video HERE and more HERE. Just so wrong.
WFLA reported that many parents are calling the incident “harmful, ugly, and egregious.” Kimberly Washington, a Barrington Middle School parent, added:
“To have this depiction done in front of students, where there were African-American students in class. It’s shameful. It’s hurtful and unacceptable.”
Nina Williams (pictured above), who posted the video, also called the incident “horrible” while speaking with the outlet:
“I don’t expect something like this to come out of any school, any age group, or anything, especially in 2026. This is not something I wanted my child to experience. This is something that will stick with him forever.”
Her son then shared that he wanted to record what happened because he wanted proof when he reported it:
“After I saw what was happening, I just, like, decided that, like, I wanted to get proof that it actually happened. She followed me after class was over, and that’s when she started talking over me and not letting me speak when I was trying to report what she did.”
Awful. Nina expressed that the display brought up a very painful reminder:
“We don’t want to remember lynchings and Jim Crow and separation and division, and we try to get away from all of those things. Our children are supposed to be able to go to school and not have to worry about being reminded of our past, of things that we had to experience.”
Parents demanded accountability and for Karen to be removed from the classroom permanently after the racist situation, and the district listened. A Hillsborough County Public Schools spokesperson confirmed to People that she has been fired, and the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practice Services will determine what happens next with her teaching certificate. Tanya Arja said:
“The incident has been reported to the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practice Services for any action regarding her teaching certificate. We want to reiterate that we do not tolerate conduct of this nature. We took immediate action and responded swiftly to ensure the situation was handled appropriately.”
Hopefully they remove her teaching license ASAP. The Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Van Ayres also condemned Karen’s actions to Tampa Bay Times, saying:
“The content of this display is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school community, or me as your Superintendent, and will not be tolerated. We are committed to fostering a caring, supportive learning environment where every student feels respected, valued, and safe. We recognize that incidents like this cause concern among students, families, and the broader community.”
We’re glad the district took action against her. School counselors and administrators are now available for any students who need support. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments (below).
To learn more about civil rights issues, check out https://www.splcenter.org/.
[Image via 10 Tampa Bay News/YouTube]
