An art teacher at Barrington Middle School in Hillsborough County has been removed from her teaching position as she is being investigated for allegedly hanging a charger cord around the neck of a Black baby doll and hanging it above a classroom television set.
According to reports, the alleged lynching was seen by a student whose parent is demanding that the teacher be punished for making her children feel unsafe in school.
The parent whose child witnessed the act alleges that Karen Savage hung the doll in class, and when the students questioned her about it, she laughed and said she had done so “to get their attention.”
The parent says her son recorded what he saw in class, and then later showed it to his family, prompting the mother to report it to school officials. Several other parents have since filed written statements following conversations with their children.
The families are now urging the Hillsborough County Public Schools Professional Standards Department to take disciplinary measures against Savage for creating a traumatic experience for their children.
“This is not classroom management. This is hate being displayed in front of children who are supposed to feel safe at school,” said the parent.
As of now, the district has not released any statement to the media regarding the matter. The teacher has been suspended pending further investigations.
This teacher should be immediately fired. Today at Barrington Middle School (Hillsborough
County Public School System) Florida, This art teacher Mrs. KAREN SAVAGE took the time to wrap a charger cord around a Black baby doll’s neck and hang it directly over the classroom… pic.twitter.com/YK6PKYPyH6— ҒβΔ GΩDDΣSS✨ΔΠDRΣΔ (@FBAGoddess444) May 19, 2026