Teacher fired on first day after ‘inappropriate’ comment about female student in viral TikTok
Miata Borders identified herself as the Mississippi substitute teacher fired after recording a student in the hallways on her first working at the high school on Oct. 17, 2025. Facebook
A Mississippi substitute teacher was fired on her first day after posting a TikTok video from inside a classroom in which she called a student “shorty.” The clip quickly went viral, sparking outrage among parents and school officials.
Miata Borders, 24, had just started working at Lake Cormorant High School under the DeSoto County School District when she uploaded the now-infamous video on October 17. In the TikTok, Borders referred to her new job as a “new hustle in life” while documenting her first day as a teacher.
“Yeah, we got a new hustle in life, I’m a school teacher,” she said at the start of the video, which showed various scenes from her day on campus.
About five hours into her shift, Borders filmed a school pep rally featuring a marching band and cheerleaders. At one point, she appeared to comment on one of the students, saying, “Damn, shorty, sheesh,” while laughing.
The TikTok, which has now been viewed more than 2.2 million times, drew immediate criticism and led to Borders’ firing. School officials said they became aware of the video soon after it began circulating online.
Borders was employed through the staffing agency Kelly Services, which has since been instructed not to place her in any future positions within the district. “District officials informed Kelly Services today that the person is no longer allowed to be a substitute teacher for DeSoto County Schools,” the district said in a statement to WREG.
Following her termination, Borders defended herself in a follow-up TikTok, insisting that her comments were taken out of context. “It’s honestly so sad how sick the world is that you guys automatically mischaracterize me fully without further context,” she said.
The self-described “content creator” said that recording her daily activities was normal for her and that she didn’t realize filming students violated school policy. “I had absolutely no idea I couldn’t record students, or else I definitely wouldn’t have done it,” Borders said.
She emphasized that most of the footage was taken while she was alone and denied any inappropriate intent. “I’m by far no predator,” she added. “I’ve literally lost it all over one mistake.”
Critics on social media slammed Borders for being unprofessional and violating student privacy. “It was all inappropriate and unprofessional,” one viewer commented. Another wrote, “Oh, you thought school was an aesthetic!”
DeSoto County Schools has been facing a string of controversies involving its staff in recent months. Earlier this week, parents staged a boycott after board member Michelle Henley showed support for a convicted sex offender, former youth pastor Lindsey Whiteside, who pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a minor. Henley has refused calls to resign.
Additionally, a former DeSoto County special education teacher, Natalia Elizabeth Wright, resigned earlier this year after she was arrested for allegedly engaging in a sexual relationship with an underage student. Wright was charged with fondling by a person in a position of trust, a felony under Mississippi law.
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