Florida Mom Protests After Teacher’s Controversial Birthday Song
A Florida mother has expressed outrage over a teacher at her son’s primary school who sang an alternative version of “Happy Birthday” that referred to “monkeys” during a birthday celebration for black children.
Desaree Prather’s anger erupted after she received a video on Monday from an unidentified female teacher at Floral Avenue Elementary School in Bartow. The clip depicted a classmate of her six-year-old son celebrating her birthday with a couple of song versions.
“I was in disbelief,” Prather shared, mentioning that she found the situation unacceptable. She posted the disturbing clip on social media.
The brief video captured staff filming the classroom as they led the kids in a traditional birthday tune. After wrapping up the usual rendition, the teacher asked the boy if he wanted to hear a “funny version.” He eagerly nodded, clearly excited.
“Alright, it goes like this,” the teacher said before launching into a jazzy rendition that was anything but classic.
“Happy birthday. I live in the zoo. You look like a monkey. You smell too,” the teacher sang, concluding with laughter as she encouraged the students to clap.
Prather stated she had never encountered such a version before and immediately filed a complaint with the school district. Her son reportedly feels too upset to return to school.
“This is humiliating for him in front of his peers,” Prather criticized, calling the teacher’s behavior racist. “Children should feel safe confiding in authority figures without fear of being mocked.”
She expressed her frustration, saying, “I don’t want to wake up every day knowing my son feels this way.”
In a social media statement on Tuesday, Polk County Public Schools announced they were reviewing the incident following the video’s circulation.
Despite her outreach, Prather has yet to hear back from the district. She’s now demanding an apology and wants the teacher to be held accountable for her actions.
“She needs to take responsibility,” Prather insisted. “An apology isn’t enough; my son’s feelings have been deeply hurt, and this needs to be addressed seriously.”
