A parent claimed students immediately questioned the teacher about the display, alleging that she laughed off their concerns
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NEED TO KNOW
- A Florida middle school teacher is under investigation after a parent alleged she hung a Black baby doll by a cord inside a classroom
- Parents and students described the display as “disturbing,” “hurtful” and racially charged
- Hillsborough County Public Schools said the teacher has been removed from campus pending an investigation
A Florida middle school teacher has been removed from campus and is under investigation after a parent alleged that she created a disturbing classroom display involving a Black baby doll hanging by a cord beneath a television.
The incident allegedly took place Monday, May 18, at Barrington Middle School in Hillsborough County, Fla., according to a Facebook post shared by the mother of a student who witnessed the display.
In the post, the woman alleged that her son recorded a video of his art teacher setting up the display inside the classroom.
“Today at Barrington Middle School (Hillsborough County Public School System) Florida, his art teacher took the time to wrap a charger cord around a Black baby doll’s neck and hang it directly over the classroom television for the entire room to see,” the mother wrote.
The parent claimed students immediately questioned the teacher about the display, alleging that she laughed off their concerns and said she created it “to get their attention.”
“Look at the photo. Look at the video. When the children called out this blatant, disgusting act of hate and asked why she hung that doll by its neck, she laughed it off,” the mother alleged.
The mother said the incident deeply upset students in the classroom.
“This emotionally affected ALL the children in that classroom,” she wrote. “My son's friends of different cultures and races were all deeply offended and disturbed by this racist act.”
Parents described the display as “harmful, ugly, and egregious," reports WFLA.
“I don’t expect something like this to come out of any school, any age group, or anything, especially in 2026,” Nina Williams, the mother of the student who recorded the video, told the outlet. “This is not something I wanted my child to experience. This is something that will stick with him forever. This is horrible.”
Williams’ son, Noah Carter, decided to document the incident because he wanted proof of what he saw, he told WFLA.
“After I saw what was happening, I just, like, decided that, like, I wanted to get proof that it actually happened,” Carter told the outlet. “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.”
Williams said the display brought up painful historical associations for students and families.
“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,” Williams told WFLA. “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.”
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Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Van Ayres condemned the display in a statement shared with the Tampa Bay Times and confirmed that the teacher had been removed from the school.
“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,” Ayres said. “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.”
The district did not specify whether the teacher had been fired, WFLA reports.
“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,” Barrington Middle School parent Kimberly Washington told the outlet.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Hillsborough County School District for additional information.
Read the full article here
