A Florida mother is speaking out after a video showing her 6-year-old son’s teacher singing a racist version of the “Happy Birthday” song went viral, sparking outrage online and an official investigation by Polk County Public Schools.
The clip, recorded at Floral Avenue Elementary School in Bartow, shows a teacher leading kindergartners in the traditional “Happy Birthday” tune before asking the child — who had just turned six — if he wanted to hear the “funny version.”
The teacher, whose face is not visible in the video, then sings: “Happy birthday to you, you live in the zoo, you look like a monkey, and you smell like one too,” while classmates laugh in the background.
The boy’s mother, Desarae Prather, said the incident left her son too upset to return to school.
“My son was humiliated in front of his peers,” she told The Ledger. “No child should have to go to school and feel like they’re being called racial slurs.”
Prather, who shared the 28-second video online, said she immediately felt the song had racist undertones.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “That’s you humiliating him. I don’t approve of that.”
Her post quickly went viral, drawing responses from prominent voices including civil rights attorney Ben Crump, actor D.L. Hughley, and former NBA player Etan Thomas, who linked the incident to the broader issue of Black children facing racism in predominantly white schools.
In a statement, Polk County Public Schools confirmed the incident is under review.
“We understand and share the concerns about the teacher’s actions and judgment,” the district wrote.
Prather, however, expressed frustration that while the district posted about the matter on social media, no one has contacted her directly.
“Nobody has called me, nobody has notified me,” she said. “But y’all can make a public post on Facebook instead of reaching out to me.”
She also revealed that her son is now seeking counseling after refusing to return to the classroom.
“He feels as if people are going to call him a monkey, and his feelings are hurt,” Prather said. “Now he doesn’t even want to go back to that school.”
While the teacher has not been suspended, the controversy has grown, with supporters of the family calling for accountability. Prather believes the teacher should apologize and face consequences.
“I feel like she should own up to her actions,” she said. “My son is going to be traumatized for life. She should get fired, because that’s unacceptable.”
