In a clip posted on TikTok Thursday by user @gawpu, two students are reciting an Islamic prayer in a room at Franklin Academy when the teacher walks in.
"Hold on, this my office," she says to the students, as a whistle is heard blowing in the background. "I don't know what's going on over here... I believe in Jesus, so I'm interrupting the floor."
The teacher then steps onto a student's prayer mat, with her foot landing near his hand as he continues to pray.
"Why are they in my office?" the teacher asks. "Who told them to come in here?"
In a statement shared with New Times, Franklin Academy said it "does not tolerate discriminatory behavior" and that the teacher is no longer working at the school.
"Yesterday, a very troubling TikTok video was shared with our leadership team... Upon receipt of the video, organizational and school leadership began immediately investigating the situation," the statement reads. "While we do not discuss personnel matters, we can share with you that the teacher in question is no longer a member of the Franklin Academy staff."
The teacher has not been identified.
Franklin Academy said that as part of an International Baccalaureate program, it urges its students and faculty to develop "intercultural and racial understanding and respect."
The school has not responded to New Times' request for comment on when the incident occurred.
The TikTok video was featured in a Local 10 News report and as of Friday morning, has received more than 5 million views.@gawpu i literally dont even believe what happened to me is real im still shook. #muslim #praying #tate #prayer #andrewtate #andrewmuslim #kanye #islam ♬ snowfall - Øneheart & Reidenshi
In the comments section, the account that posted the video stated: "To clear up, we asked two teachers if we can go pray and they allowed us into the room that we were in."
"Everything was fine until she walked in," the comment continues.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Florida), the largest Muslim civil rights organization in Florida, said in a statement that it was relieved with the school's swift action.
"It is of utmost importance that school administrators and staff know basic faith practices to serve students practicing their faith, in this case, Muslims," CAIR-Florida executive director Imam Abdullah Jaber wrote in a statement. "We will protect our children. We welcome the prompt response from the school administration.”
Jaber added that bullying is one of the most common school-related complaints CAIR receives around the country.
A 2022 poll by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) found that nearly half of all Muslim families with school-age children reported having a child who dealt with religious-based bullying over the past year. One in five families, according to the poll, said their child faces such bullying on a daily basis.
