Maryland teacher who went viral for letting students unbraid his hair provides update on his employment status

Marquise White, the Maryland teacher who went viral for letting students take out his braids, has shared a positive update on his employment status.

He will return back to the classroom.

Viral Maryland Teacher who let students take out braids shares an update

On Friday, July 5, White shared an update on TikTok. The teacher explained that many social media users have been telling him to “get over” the viral incident. Additionally, he explained that he was “chilling for a while” until something major happened.

“Guess what? Guess who finally received a decision from the county on behalf of the superintendent, um, in regard to my employment status?” White said. “At first, I was really bothered by how long this process was taking… 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…”

White explained that people have been calling him “everything under the sun.” However, the district’s investigation found that the public’s “baseless claims” about him were unfounded.

Ultimately, White thanked the public for their support and stated that he’ll be back in the classroom in August.

Viral video that started it all

White teaches science at the Maya Angelou French Immersion school in Hillcrest Heights, Md.

On May 5, White went live on TikTok of him sitting down as a few students unbraided his hair. He has more than 775,000 TikTok followers and several of his videos show him in the classroom teaching his students, as well as discussing life as an educator.

Following the viral video, several people have defended the teacher, while others have criticized his behavior. Prince George’s County Public Schools reassigned White out of the classroom pending the outcome of the investigation.