A substitute teacher in DeSoto County was terminated after a TikTok video filmed during her first day on the job went viral, showing her recording students and referring to one as “shorty,” a slang term that is an informal reference used to describe a young woman or girl.
The teacher, identified as 24-year-old Miata Borders, had been placed at Lake Cormorant High School by staffing agency Kelly Services. The video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, shows Borders walking through school hallways and a pep rally while filming students and narrating remarks that drew criticism online.
“Damn, shorty, sheesh. Man, I gotta get up after these school kids tryna take me down,” Borders says in the video.
A substitute high school teacher was fired on their first day for making TikTok videos at school and calling female students ‘shorty.’ 👀
— My Mixtapez (@mymixtapez) October 27, 2025
In a statement shared with WREG-TV, DeSoto County Schools said, “District officials informed Kelly Services today that the person is no longer allowed to be a substitute teacher for DeSoto County Schools.”
Borders later addressed the controversy in a follow-up TikTok, saying she did not realize filming students was prohibited.
“I had absolutely no idea I couldn’t record students, or else I definitely wouldn’t have done it,” she said.
The incident has reignited the debate about educators’ use of social media and student privacy in the classroom and comes as DeSoto County school officials continue to face scrutiny surrounding the behavior of local teachers.
Last week, former Hernando coach and youth pastor Lindsey Whiteside was indicted on federal sex crime charges. Whiteside, who worked in the same county as Borders, was charged with multiple counts related to the sexual exploitation of minors.
