A Mississippi-based substitute teacher was dismissed from her position on her first day of work after she referred to a female student as “shorty” in a TikTok video that has since gone viral. The video was created by 24-year-old Miata Borders while she was inside the school premises. Borders, who identifies herself as a content creator, had recently started working as a substitute teacher at Lake Cormorant High School in DeSoto County.
In the video, which was part of her “day in the life” series, Borders documented her first day on the job on October 17. The video included various moments from her day, including an in-school pep rally parade featuring students, a band, and cheerleaders. It was during this parade that Borders made the comment about a student that led to her dismissal.
The video quickly gained traction online, amassing over 2.2 million views. School officials were alerted to the video after it was posted on Borders’ social media page. Following this, her contract was terminated. Borders was employed by staffing company Kelly Services, which has confirmed that she will not be hired for any future positions within the school district.
In response to her dismissal, Borders, who describes herself as a “trend$etter and handmade CEO,” claimed that she was being unfairly characterized. She argued that as a content creator, she records everything she does, and that the majority of the video was filmed when she was alone in the school. She also claimed that the school’s administrators were aware that she was recording her day.
However, the video also featured Borders covertly filming students as she walked through the school’s hallways, and at one point, she was seen with her feet propped up on a desk in a classroom. These actions, along with her comment about the student, were criticized by TikTok users, who accused her of being unprofessional and invading the privacy of underage students.
This incident is the latest in a series of controversies involving employees of DeSoto County Schools. Earlier in the week, several parents refused to send their children to school in protest of board members and faculty showing support for a convicted sex offender.