PONTIAC, Mich. – Student cellphone cameras were rolling inside a Pontiac classroom and the videos of a teacher’s rant are spreading quickly online. They captured the heated exchange between the high school teacher and students on just her second day on the job.
In the video, the woman identified by the Pontiac School District as a newly hired teacher can be heard arguing with students and using profanity.
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“Oh, your mama gonna come beat the f*** outta me?” she appears to say in one clip.
In another moment, she responds to a student, who allegedly said they would call their mother to fight her, saying, “All right, b****, all right is that what we’re doing, OK.”
At another point in the video, the teacher allegedly said, “This is not a school. That’s what they told me when I came here.”
Longer versions of the recording, shared with Local 4, captured additional exchanges.
“I’m 53 years old,” the recording allegedly showed. “And this little pion is sitting up in here calling me a girl.”
In another clip, she appears to tell a student, “Sis, you sound r*****ed,” after it appeared the student called her the same phrase.
One of the students’ mothers who witnessed and recorded the rant, Kayla Burns, said she was disturbed by what she saw and heard.
“When a teacher is calling kids the B-word and the A-word and the N-word - I think that needs to be addressed right away to parents,” Burns said.
Burns and the mother of another student involved in the recorded confrontation told Local 4 they are especially frustrated because they said this is not the first time a staff member has acted inappropriately toward students.
“They’re minimizing that these are children -- these are minor children,” Burns said.
While some on social media have posted messages calling to “bring that teacher back” and saying “we need more teachers like her,” others strongly disagree.
“Anybody who sees that video and blames the child for being a child or a parent who is advocating for that child -- I got to question their integrity,” said Pontiac community activist Marcus Kelly.
A spokesperson for the Pontiac School District said the behavior seen in the video does not reflect its values or staff standards. The district confirmed the teacher no longer works there. They also told Local 4 they could not comment on other students because it is a “personnel matter.”
“The well-being of our students remains our highest priority,” the district said. “We appreciate our families’ continued support as we work to ensure instructional continuity and maintain a safe, respectful learning environment.”
“With regard to the additional claims you referenced, district and school administrators have been engaged with the parent for several months to review concerns, address questions, and work toward resolution through appropriate school and district processes.”
“As with any student matter, there are multiple perspectives and details that cannot be discussed publicly due to student privacy protections. However, the characterization presented publicly does not reflect the full scope of the district’s ongoing efforts to support the student and address the parents’ concerns.”
“Our focus remains on maintaining a safe and respectful learning environment for all students while continuing to work directly with families to resolve concerns through established processes. Right now, we don’t have any more information to share.”
But Burns and others are now calling for transparency and accountability from the top down.
“I want a letter to go out to every student’s parent. We are deeply sorry that your child had to witness that disturbing, disgusting behavior from a teacher we hired,” she said.