Teacher Who Went Viral After Students Removed His Braids In Class Will Keep His Job: ‘This Was Never For Clout’

Marquise White , the Baltimore middle school teacher who faced backlash earlier this year for allowing students to undo his braids, has now revealed that he will keep his job despite all the controversy. White gave the latest update on his story in a video he posted to TikTok on July 5.

“At first, I was really bothered by how long this process was taking and how long the county was keeping me in the dark, but now, as I’m looking back on it, I want to thank the county for taking their time and ensuring I wasn’t an actual weirdo who slipped through the cracks before they allowed me back into the classroom,” he told his TikTok followers. In the clip, he also shouts out Cardi B for showing her support for White amid the backlash.

As Blavity reported, White went viral after posting a video showing his female students helping him remove his braids in class. As thousands of people criticized White and called his actions inappropriate, he defended himself in a series of clips.

“We as a people have to abandon this idea of sexual intimacy being tied with getting your hair done,” White said at the time. “Y’all can see there’s nothing suggestive going on. It’s like family, it’s like community… this is simply a wholesome, innocent community-oriented activity.”

White added that his students helped him because he had a “hair appointment immediately after school” and didn’t have time to remove his braids the night before due to a camera crew shooting a promotional video.

In his latest update, the Maya Angelou French Immersion School teacher said his solid reputation as an educator helped him clear his name.

“Not only did I have [my character] working in my favor, I had the grades, the test scores, the evaluation reports from being observed by my principal,” he said, according to Black Enterprise . “This was never for clout; I don’t post my videos for clout. I’ve been [a] content creator for several years; I was [one] before I was a teacher. As an educator in today’s age, you’ve got to find ways to connect with your students. One thing for me is utilizing my social media because the students enjoy it.”

White said he will serve a five-day suspension, but he plans to resume teaching in August.

“I’ll be back at the school in August doing what I do best, making learning fun and impacting the lives of countless students,” he said. “Some people will never like you because your light irritates their demons…but shine anyway.”