Meghan Trainor needs to do some extra credit this week, because teachers are not happy with the singer. The “Mother” singer recently vented about safety in schools (understandable), but surprisingly went off the rails a bit and turned her anger to our educators — going so far as to say, “F*ck teachers.” Um…what?
Let’s back up a bit to try to understand the situation a little more. On last week’s episode of Trainor’s Workin’ On It podcast, which she co-hosts with her brother Ryan Trainor, the Grammy winner and guest Trisha Paytas were talking about how scary it is to send your kids to school with all the school shootings happening. (For the record: there have been 42 incidents of gunfire on U.S. school grounds resulting in 17 deaths and 32 injuries in 2023 alone, according to Everytown For Gun Safety. And it’s only mid-April.)
“We’re homeschooling our kids,” Trainor, who is mom to Riley, 2, and pregnant with her second child with husband Daryl Sabara said. “F*ck that, everyone on TikTok is, they’re like ‘This is what it’s like to have a kid in school America. I have a bulletproof backpack.’ I was like, f*ck all that.”
First of all, I get it. Many parents are deciding to homeschool thanks to the scary political climate that seems to care more for harming transgender kids than it does for protecting kids from gun violence. But what Trainor said next was completely uncalled for. As Paytas recalled a story about being bullied by kids and teachers, Trainor said, “F*ck teachers, dude.” She later said that her and her husband were bullied by their teachers, which may explain the sentiment, but doesn’t excuse it.
Teachers Weren’t Happy With Meghan Trainor
Teachers were quick to call out the “Made You Look” singer.
“As a former teacher, I’m absolutely floored that Meghan would say ‘f teachers,'” one person commented on YouTube. “I worked 12 hour days and weekends, spent money out of my own pocket, sacrificed my mental and physical health to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for my students.” They added, “Our school system is a mess, but teachers are not the problem. They are the only people left in schools really fighting for our kids.”
Another teacher said, “The school system is f*cked up beyond repair and i totally understand decisions to homeschool, but hearing ‘f*ck teachers’ was hard to listen to. i know some students have bad experiences with some teachers, but this does not paint the picture for all teachers. if only people who weren’t teachers saw all the unpaid time i spent planning activities for my students or buying supplies with my money, while i make $14 an hour. big ouch moment to hear this.”
People also took to Twitter to air their concerns about Trainor’s statement. One person said, “Meghan Trainor is so out of touch saying it’s scary to send your kids to school knowing damn good and well her kids won’t endure any of the tragedy that public school children have endured. Read the f*cking room.”
“Meghan Trainor using her rich white woman privilege to sh*t on teachers instead of advocating for better public education for children who don’t have her resources is… a choice,” another person wrote. They added in a comment, “It was not a fun time to hear ‘eff teachers’ as I try to juggle lesson planning with taking care of my own two sick kids on a Sunday morning. Like…we’re people!?”
Meghan Trainor Apologized to Teachers for Her Careless Comments
Trainor took to TikTok Sunday night to apologize to teachers.
“Teachers of TikTok and teachers of the world, I recently said ‘F teachers’ on the podcast and it’s not how I feel,” she said in the video.
Trainor explained, “I was fired up because we were talking about how sending your kid to school here in America is so horrific. And what all of us have to go through, but especially teachers, is not normal and not OK.”
She said that Paytas, Sabara, and she all had “history” with bullying by teachers. “So in that moment, I got angry and said ‘F teachers, F those specific human beings back in the day.’ But I did not mean that to all teachers,” Trainor said.
“I love teachers, I fight for teachers. I think they have the hardest job, and they are the most underpaid,” she continued. “They’re the most unappreciated when they literally raise all of us. I don’t want to make excuses, I am just so sorry. I am so sorry to any teachers who I made feel bad.”
She added, “I will remind myself that my words definitely could have a consequence, and I will be more careful. Love you all so much. So sorry again. Thank you all for helping me.”
In her caption, Trainor called out a TikToker who helped her see how “careless” she was being with her words.
“@galsgotmoxie thank you for making your video and for bringing attention to this,” Trainor said. “I am sorry for being careless with my words. I LOVE teachers and I am here for you ❤️ Let’s work to make schools a better place together.”
Some Teachers Want Meghan Trainor To do More
Teachers responded to the video with a mixture of appreciation and hurt. One top comment said, “Some of us teachers were also bullied by teachers growing up. Which is a big reason why many of us choose to become teachers.”
“🙏🏻. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Now THIS is what accountability and amends looks like. No script. Eye contact. Thank you,” another person said.
One person wrote, “Most of us teachers are trying to be the people we needed when we were younger. Words have so much power. But, I appreciate your apology ❤️.” We could all use this as a great reminder to think before speaking.
“Can you share specifically what you are doing to advocate for teachers?” another asked.
Teacher Appreciation Week starts May 8, so let’s all do the most to show teachers how grateful we are for their amazing work!
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