A Mississippi teacher says she was fired after just one day on the job at Lake Cormorant High School, claiming her dismissal came after she posted TikTok videos from inside her classroom — videos she insists were harmless and misunderstood.

The educator, who goes by Ms. [Name withheld for privacy] online, says she had just started what she thought would be her dream teaching job when administrators abruptly told her she was being let go. The reason: she had violated district policy by recording students and posting the clips to social media without permission.

“I was excited. I wanted to make the classroom fun,” she said in a TikTok explaining her side of the story. “The kids already knew me from my videos — they were fans. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong.”

According to the DeSoto County School District, the decision was not about popularity or social media trends but about clear violations of policy. The district confirmed that the teacher was terminated after she “recorded and posted video content from within a classroom setting, including footage of students, without authorization.”

“DeSoto County Schools prohibits recording, photographing, or distributing images of students or classrooms without administrative approval and parental consent,” the district said in a statement. “This policy is in place to protect student privacy and maintain a professional educational environment.”

The videos in question — several short TikToks — reportedly showed the teacher interacting casually with students, using slang and playful language. While none appeared overtly inappropriate, some viewers online claimed her tone was “too familiar” for a teacher. Others defended her, saying she was simply trying to connect with students in a relatable way.

“I’m no predator,” she said in one now-deleted post. “They were fans, not victims. I wasn’t flirting — I was just being me. I didn’t know filming was against the rules.”

Her case has sparked debate across social media about the fine line between connecting with students and maintaining professional boundaries, especially in an era when teachers, influencers, and content creators increasingly overlap.

Some commenters accused the school district of overreacting, arguing that young teachers who understand social media can help engage students. Others countered that filming in classrooms without consent is a serious breach of privacy, even if intentions are innocent.

Education experts say the case highlights a growing tension in schools nationwide.

“Districts want teachers who can relate to students, but they also have to protect minors’ privacy and the integrity of the classroom,” said Dr. [Education Policy Expert], a professor at the University of Mississippi. “Social media blurs those boundaries. What might seem harmless to one person could be interpreted very differently by parents or administrators.”

The teacher, who has more than [X] followers on TikTok, said she had hoped to use her platform to “make education feel cool again.” Instead, she now finds herself jobless and facing online scrutiny.

“I never even got a warning,” she said. “I wish they had just told me, ‘Hey, you can’t record here.’ I would’ve stopped right away.”

As of Friday, her videos from inside the classroom appear to have been deleted. The district declined to comment further, citing personnel privacy rules.

Whether she’ll return to teaching remains unclear, but she says she hasn’t given up.

“I love teaching,” she said. “I just learned a hard lesson — the internet doesn’t belong in every classroom.”