Calls to fire Florida teacher after she was filmed hanging black baby doll by a charging cable in front of young classroom

A Florida teacher has prompted outrage online and in her local community after a video showed her hanging a black baby doll from a charging cord in front of her students. 63-year-old Karen Savage claimed she did it as a joke but parents have understandably taken issue with the racist imagery.

The offensive and downright racist act was filmed by a 14-year-old student at Barrington Middle School in Lithia, Florida. In the now viral clip Savage is seen hanging the doll from a TV monitor. The clip was later posted to Facebook along with details about the teacher including her name and a photograph of her. The student and his mother said they were shocked by the incident and they’re not the only ones.

“​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 explained in the caption of the Facebook video. When the children called out the “blatant, disgusting act of hate” Savage allegedly told them that she did it “to get their attention.”

The mother claimed that Savage’s actions “emotionally affected ALL the children in that classroom.” Online people reacted with outrage “looks like a hate crime to me. What say you Hillsborough School and Tampa Police?” wrote one person on X, tagging the accounts for the Hillsborough County schools and the Tampa police accounts.

Karen Savage faces consequences

The disgusting video prompted people to call for the teacher to lose her job. Both parents and outraged people online thought Savage should lose her job over the incident. While Savage claimed the whole thing was a joke it seems no-one else saw the funny side (because there is none).

Savage was put under investigation and it was later announced that the teacher had been removed from the classroom as per Bay News 9. A statement from Hillsborough County Superintendent Van Ayres on Tuesday reassured parents that their concerns had been heard, “I am aware of an inappropriate and highly offensive display that took place in a classroom yesterday,” The statement reads, calling it “unacceptable,” and “will not be tolerated.”

Administrators reportedly acted as soon as they were made aware of the incident and removed Savage from the school immediately.

Whether it was intended as a joke or not, many agree that Savage should have known that her actions would cause offense considering the violent and racist act she was depicting. As a teacher she should certainly have a better sense of right and wrong.