There can be little doubt that teachers have a tough job. Whether they’re dealing with unruly students , danger in the classroom or low pay , it’s a profession that isn’t for the faint of heart.
There are enough challenges to deal with for the average teacher without factoring two-faced colleagues into the mix. One teacher recently shared her story on TikTok of getting fired after a backstabbing friend intentionally got her into trouble.
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Nicole Johnson says she was fired for a TikTok video.
Nicole, who can be found on TikTok @nicoleybridget3 , jokingly posted a video that shows her with a Starbucks beverage along with the caption, “Me telling my coworkers there is no way I can come in early ’cause I have kids but yet I arrive with a Starbucks daily.”
She had no idea how much trouble she’d get into.
While the video was clearly posted in jest, one of her coworkers decided to report it to school administrators. The original video is no longer available, but a clip of it is included in Nicole’s explanation.
She wasn’t coming in late.
The caption on the video states that Nicole doesn’t come in early, but it doesn’t state that she comes in late. This means she was showing up on time. Unfortunately, administrators didn’t seem to see things that way.
It was only ever intended to be a joke.
Her coworker’s report triggered an investigation and review process. Nicole says that during her meeting with human resources, she was told that the video was an insult to her colleagues. Administrators also thought her #fyp hashtag — which is simply intended to get more eyes on the video — stood for ‘f you people.’
Long story short: Nicole was fired.
The combination of the #fyp misunderstanding and the “gloating” tone of her video was apparently enough to get Nicole fired. At first, it seemed like she’d just get administrative leave, but when she tried to return to work, she was informed that she’d been let go.
She just couldn’t reason with HR.
In follow-up videos, Nicole details her saga. She says that as she discussed her ADHD with HR, she was told it was no excuse for showing up late. She reiterated, once more, that she hadn’t been showing up early, but had been showing up right on time. In other words, she wasn’t coming in late.
The betrayal might be the worst part.
Nicole discussed the coworker who ratted out, saying that she had trusted her. In a video, she shared the text exchange she’d had with this coworker. The messages made it clear that this coworker acted like her friend throughout the ordeal, even though she was stabbing Nicole in the back the whole time.
It’s a tough lesson.
Commenters were quick to call out Nicole’s colleague, who does indeed sound awful. It brought up an interesting dilemma: how much should one trust the people they work with? Treating them all like enemies seems like a bit much, but implicitly trusting them just because you share a workplace seems like a surefire way to wind up in trouble.
Nicole shared her check-in sheet to prove she didn’t show up late.
The video has since been removed, but it did appear to show that Nicole was coming to school on time. Right now it seems that she’s processing the whole ugly ordeal, but we’re pulling for her moving forward.
Let us know what you think of Nicole’s saga — and share your best “Karen” coworker stories — in the comments!
