Substitute sang ‘Toxic’ to students at Texas school, video shows. He was asked to leave

A substitute teacher brought a karaoke machine to school for his classroom performance, a Texas school district said, leading to his early dismissal.

Now, Austin Independent School District is “reviewing the incident to determine his future in our substitute system,” according to a statement provided to McClatchy News.

“The substitute, who was in our system and had completed background checks, showed up at Bowie (High School) without an ID,” the district statement says. “After getting a temporary ID, he preceded to his class but failed to identify himself properly to his first class, leading some to believe he was not approved to be on campus. The sub then began to sing using a karaoke machine he had brought with him.”

In a student’s video later obtained by Storyful, the substitute is seen singing “Toxic” by Britney Spears while seated at the teacher’s desk as rainbow-colored disco lights illuminated the dimly lit classroom on Friday, Dec. 3.

The school principal spoke with the substitute teacher and asked him to leave that same morning, district officials say.

The substitute teacher, who was not identified, could not be reached by McClatchy News for comment.

District officials say the substitute later shared on social media that Bowie administrators kicked him out, according to the statement. He also posted a photo of what “appears to be of him at another classroom at Austin High later in the day.”

But he did not have an assignment at Austin High School, officials say, and “it does not appear” as if he was ever in that classroom. He did go to the campus to talk with the substitute coordinator about filling a teacher’s vacancy, but he was escorted away from the school’s campus.

“After further review,” the district said, “it appears the substitute has a social media profile that states he is trying to act as a substitute in all 50 states, and sing and entertain students while subbing, while documenting his experience.”

This story was originally published December 7, 2021 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Substitute sang ‘Toxic’ to students at Texas school, video shows. He was asked to leave."