A middle school art teacher in west-central Florida has been fired while district officials investigate an incident in which the woman allegedly displayed a Black doll hanging from a classroom television set.
The alleged incident occurred at Barrington Middle School in Lithia, located 22 miles southeast of downtown Tampa, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Teacher fired, district officials say
Update, 1:12 p.m. ET, May 20: On Tuesday, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Van Ayres condemned the display and confirmed the teacher involved had been removed from campus while the incident was being investigated. In an update on Wednesday, the school district confirmed that Karen Savage had been fired, WTSP reported.
District spokesperson Tanya Arja told the Tampa Bay Times that after the district’s Office of Professional Standards concluded their investigation, the incident was reported to the state’s Department of Education’s Office of Professional Practice Services “for any action regarding (Savage’s) teaching certificate.”
“We want to reiterate that we do not tolerate conduct of this nature,” Arja said. “We took immediate action and responded swiftly to ensure the situation was handled appropriately.”
Original report: A 14-year-old student recorded a video of the purported incident on Monday, and it was shared by his mother in a Facebook post. The clip quickly went viral.
“I don’t expect something like this to come out of any school, any age group, or anything, especially in 2026,” Nina Williams, the child’s mother, told WFLA. “This is not something I wanted my child to experience.
“This is something that will stick with him forever. This is horrible.”
The video shows a teacher, confirmed by the Hillsborough County School District as Barrington art teacher Karen Savage, appearing to wrap a charger cord around the doll’s neck and tossing it over a classroom television set, leaving it to hang, the Times reported.
In the video, some of the students appeared to laugh, while others could be heard saying “Oh my God,” according to the newspaper.
“She took the charger cord and wrapped it around the baby’s neck and tied it,” the student told WTSP. “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.
“Everybody started telling her it was wrong and racist to do that,” the boy told the television station. “And then she said it was just a joke, and then she took down the doll.”
Savage has not returned an email from the Times seeking comment. Williams could not be immediately reached via telephone or through her Facebook account, according to the newspaper.
In a statement, Van Ayres, Superintendent for Hillsborough County Public Schools, said Savage had been removed from the school while the District’s Office of Professional Standards investigates, the Times reported.
Ayres called the incident “inappropriate and highly offensive.”
“The content of this display is unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our school community, or me as your Superintendent, and will not be tolerated,” Ayres said. “We are committed to fostering a caring, supportive learning environment where every student feels respected, valued, and safe. We recognize that incidents like this cause concern among students, families, and the broader community.”
The school district did not specify whether Savage had been fired, WFLA reported.