Middle school teacher fired after viral video shows her hanging Black baby doll from classroom’s TV monitor

An empty classroom is seen in this undated file photo. (Source: iStock, DONGSEON_KIM)

LITHIA, Florida (WFOR) -- A Florida middle school teacher has been fired after a viral video that many parents and community members are calling racist and deeply offensive. The video appeared to show her hanging a Black baby doll from a classroom TV monitor using a cord.

The video, recorded by a 14-year-old student at Barrington Middle School in Lithia, about 20 to 25 miles (32 to 40 kilometres) southeast of Tampa, has racked up hundreds of thousands of views on social media.

“She took the charger cord and wrapped it around the baby’s neck and tied it,” said the student, Noah, who recorded the video. “She tried multiple attempts to get it above the TV, and once she got it over, she lowered it down so it would be visible under the TV.”

Noah told CBS’s Tampa Bay station, WTSP, that the incident began after the teacher confiscated a doll from a classmate, appearing frustrated that the students weren’t paying enough attention in class.

“And then after she took the doll, she walked over to her phone, like the phone area where there’s a charge cord on the TV. She took the charger cord and wrapped it around the baby’s neck, and like tied it,” he said.

Noah told WTSP that the students initially reacted with nervous laughter before the mood quickly changed.

“Everybody started telling her it was wrong and racist to do that,” he said. “And then she said it was just a joke, and then she took down the doll.”

The teacher, identified as 63-year-old Karen Whitmore Savage, appears in the viral clip to have used an electrical cord to suspend the doll from the monitor while students watched.

Noah told WTSP that he felt compelled to document what he was seeing so he can later report it to school administrators.

“While she was lowering it down, I was like, I think I should record this so I have more proof that she did it,” he said. “I needed more evidence so that she doesn’t get away with it.”

Noah claims that Savage followed him to the student affairs office and spoke over him while he tried to explain what happened.

Nina Williams, Noah’s mother, also spoke to WTSP. She said that she went into “panic” after seeing the video he sent to the family group chat while still at school.

“My heart started racing,” Williams said. “I immediately just went into a panic. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I have to go get my son.’”

Williams said the image immediately evoked the history of racial violence and lynching in America.

“That is not something that I expected my children in 2026 to ever have to deal with seeing — a lynching, whether it was real or fake,” Williams said. “The whole image is just horrific.”

She also worries how the incident will stay in students of multiple racial and cultural backgrounds’ minds.

“This is something they will never forget,” Williams said. “This will be with my son for the rest of his life.”

Williams also said that she has been reached out to by civil rights attorneys due to the virality of the video and that legal action against the Hillsborough County Schools district is being considered.

The incident has also targeted online outrage, with many social media users demanding the school to fire Savage. Other users argued the incident may have been taken out of context.

The Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent condemned the incident on Tuesday and said that Savage had been removed from campus while the district investigated. It was then confirmed on Wednesday that she had been fired.

A spokesperson for Hillsborough County Public Schools issued a statement to WTSP about Savage’s status with the school, that reads:

“Ms. Savage’s employment has been terminated, effective immediately, and 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.

Our school counselors and administrators will continue to be available to meet with any students at Barrington Middle School who have concerns or need additional support."

Williams told WTSP that she appreciates the quick response from the district, but believes Savage should never return to any classroom.

“I do thank them for moving quickly to remove her from the school building,” she said. “I do appreciate that. And I am praying that she never gets to return to another school in any county in any state.”