A substitute teacher in Mississippi found herself out of a job on her very first day after making a comment about a female student during a viral TikTok video.
Miata Borders, 24, was let go by DeSoto County Schools shortly after she expressed her excitement about starting a new role at Lake Cormorant High School, as reported.
Describing herself as a “content creator,” Borders documented her first day on October 17, sharing snippets of her experiences.
At the start of the video, she cheerfully mentioned, “Yes, I’ve started a new endeavor in my life. I’m a school teacher.” The footage included a pep parade that featured students, bands, and cheerleaders, capturing a moment that seemed particularly amusing to her.
“Damn, shorty, damn,” she exclaimed with a chuckle, noting how students were playfully trying to distract her.
The TikTok clip quickly gained traction, racking up over 2.2 million views.
School officials were not thrilled with her remarks, and they swiftly terminated her employment after she shared the video online.
Borders, working through Kelly Services, will no longer be able to serve as a substitute within the district.
The school district announced that they had informed Kelly Services that she was no longer authorized to take on the substitute role.
In a statement following her dismissal, Borders expressed her disappointment, feeling she was mischaracterized without context.
“It honestly saddens me how sick the world is that you guys could automatically and completely mischaracterize me without any further context,” she stated, later posting a follow-up video.
She defended her actions by saying, “When you create content, you realize that what you see is not all you get,” highlighting that her TikToks typically featured her alone at school—except for a few accidental clips of students.
Borders maintained that she was under the impression school administrators were aware she was recording her day.
“I had no idea that I couldn’t record my students; otherwise, I never would have,” she insisted. “If I had known, I honestly would have recorded myself.”
She emphasized that she was not a predator, asserting her intention was solely to create content.
Borders lamented that she “literally lost everything in one mistake.”
Many TikTok users criticized her actions, claiming she was inconsiderate and had infringed upon students’ privacy.
Comments labeled the incident as “inappropriate and unprofessional,” with others expressing disbelief that her video featured children.
One particularly harsh comment noted, “Well, at least you made history… you got hired and fired on the same day.”
The school district has been facing scrutiny over staff behavior recently, including parental protests against board members and teachers for supporting a convicted sex offender.
Former youth pastor Lindsey Whiteside was convicted of sexual assault against a minor and received public support from a school trustee, which led to boycotts by concerned parents.
Whiteside’s sentence involved three years of house arrest and seven years of supervised release.
In addition, a former special education teacher at Lewisburg High School resigned after being charged with having sexual relations with an underage student, which included incidents in a Taco Bell parking lot.
