A furious mother from Florida has accused her son’s white elementary school teacher of being racist after the educator sang an altered version of the “Happy Birthday” song that includes the term “monkey” to a young black student.
Desarae Prather expressed her outrage on Monday when she received a video from the unnamed teacher at Floral Avenue Elementary School in Bartow, which showed her 6-year-old son’s classmates celebrating his birthday with two different renditions of the song, as reported by The Ledger.
“I was stunned,” Prather recounted to the publication, noting that she had since shared the inappropriate footage on social media.
“This isn’t humorous at all.”
The short clip, lasting 43 seconds, shows the teacher capturing the moment as her class performed the familiar birthday tune.
Once they concluded, the teacher inquired if the boy wished to hear a “funny version,” and he happily nodded, the video revealed.
“Alright, it goes like this,” she said, snapping her fingers and beginning a jazzy rendition of the peculiar version.
“Happy Birthday to you. You live in the zoo. You look like a monkey, and you smell like one too,” the teacher sang, chuckling as she added that the students should clap for the boy.
Prather remarked that she had never encountered this unusual variation of the celebratory song and immediately filed a complaint with the school district.
Her son, Legend, is reportedly too distressed to return to school, fearing that his classmates may call him a “monkey.”
“I find this unacceptable; you are humiliating my son in front of his peers,” Prather stated, accusing the teacher of “racism.”
“No child should feel they cannot trust an authority figure without being subjected to racial insults, and this applies to all children, not just my son. Now, I’m seeking counseling for him because he was crying and doesn’t want to return to her class or that school.”
“I shouldn’t have to wake up daily knowing my son feels this way.”
Polk County Public Schools officials responded on social media Tuesday after the footage circulated, indicating that they are reviewing the video and the teacher’s actions through their human resources department.
Prather, who has yet to receive any response from the school district after her complaint, is now advocating for the teacher’s termination and a formal apology, according to reports.
“I believe she should be accountable for her actions,” Prather asserted.
“I think she should apologize to my son and family because her behavior was unacceptable, and my son will be traumatized indefinitely. This news is spreading worldwide, and I feel she deserves to be fired because this conduct is intolerable.”
