An Orlando, Florida teacher has been suspended after sharing a TikTok video of white students bowing to fellow black students.
The stunt is reportedly in criticism of the state’s “Stop Woke Act” which seeks to end Critical Race Theory and other discriminatory education in Florida’s public schools.
The video begins featuring Howard Middle School teacher Ethan Hooper taking “problematic books” away from students in an effort to mock the state’s legislation.
“I’m about to run up on these kids and start banning books right away,” Hooper states as he approaches students yelling, “Hey, hey, hey, what’cha all reading?”
“You reading Harry Potter? Oh, witchcraft? Gotta go. Gotta go,” Hooper says before seizing the book.
The teacher approaches another student reading Crossover by Kwame Alexander as Hooper says, “A black boy? No. Absolutely not.”
Hooper approaches a third student reading The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas.
“I’m gonna give you something to hate,” he says as he grabs the book. “This book’s gone.”
Hooper continues approaching several other students reading Wonder by R. J. Palacio, the graphic novel Freestyle by Gale Galligan and Class Act by Jerry Craft among others.
This Florida teacher made students participate in a skit for black history month where white students act like servants for black students pic.twitter.com/g29SgNd3pn
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 17, 2023
Hooper later has students recite “I shall not read books … books are bad … if I read, it’s approved by the Feds.”
In a separate video, black and brown students are featured being catered to by white students.
“If one of the teachers was using my kid for political gain, that would upset me,” said one father, Orlando 6 reported. “What if I don’t believe in that, and, you know, that’s not what I’m teaching my kid?”
“He needs to lose his job now,” said another critic of Hooper’s stunt. “He can take his issues to adults in the system. Instead, he used children he’s supposed to be caring for on a personal social media account.”
“Orange County Public Schools will not tolerate the use of our children as political pawns by anyone, including a classroom teacher,” the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) said in a statement, per Orlando 6.
“Any employee of who creates videos or other content with students in an effort to exploit them for political purposes will be immediately removed from the classroom, placed on administrative leave and swift action will be taken to terminate employment.”
“I am appalled at the behavior and judgment of the teacher who posted the inappropriate videos using his students as political props,” OCPS Superintendent Maria Vazquez said. “This is not free speech — it is the exploitation of our students for political purposes, and it will not be tolerated in our school district.”
