Maddie Richardson, a middle school science teacher behind the viral TikTok account 'The Miss R Project' (@themissrproject2.0), says she was fired after "pushing back against admin" in a now-viral video. Her dismissal has sparked backlash from parents who say she was "the best teacher [their] children have had."
In a video posted on Nov. 3, Richardson says that she was "fired" but maintains that she "didn't do anything wrong, illegal, or put the kids in any danger."
"I did push back against authority. They just fired me and didn't let me say goodbye," Richardson says in the clip. "To my students, I love you. I promise to make a more formal goodbye, but I won't be there tomorrow."
The video has reached over 13.2 million views as of Nov. 7, with parents and students flooding the comments section with words of encouragement and many expressing their shock at the school board's decision.
"You are by far, the best teacher my children have had. May I ask what the reasoning was? I am so sorry!!" one parent commented.
"Thinking of you miss r! you made such an impact on me and your other students! continue being you and making the same impact on generations to come," another student wrote.
In a follow-up video, Richardson says that she had to retrieve her belongings during a "supervised" visit to her classroom on a Saturday. The text overlay reads, "My students left me notes on my board, but admin erased them before I could see them."
However, several parents chaperoned their children to the school the day Richardson collected her belongings, giving her a chance to say goodbye to many of her students. In the clip, students and parents carry signs with words of encouragement as Richardson drives up to the school.
In the comments section, users encourage parents to continue to advocate for Richardson's reinstatement, pointing to the impact she has had on their children.
"I'm glad the parents brought their kids to walk you in!!! it's important the admin knows they don't have quite the control they think they have!" one commenter wrote.
"Parents: FIGHT FOR HER! She’s a great teacher!!!" another said.
In a comment, Richardson clarifies that she was not given a reason for why she was fired, writing, "They won’t say and told kids and parents 'it is what was best for the school.'"
The Daily Dot reached out to Richardson via email.
