A Maryland teacher is under investigation after a viral TikTok of students taking out his braids

Marquise White shared a TikTok of students braiding his hair on May 5, which has since garnered 7.4 million views, 21,000 comments and mixed reactions

A Maryland school teacher is under investigation after sharing a TikTok video of his students removing his braided hairstyle.

Marquise White, a teacher at Maya Angelou French Immersion School in Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, has been “reassigned from the classroom pending the outcome of the investigation,” said Lynn McCawley, senior public information specialist at Prince George’s County Public Schools in an interview with PEOPLE shared statement.

White posted the TikTok livestream on May 5 in which he sat while a few students removed his braids. He has more than 775,000 TikTok followers and several of his videos show him in the classroom, teaching his students and talking about life as an educator.

After the viral video, which had 7.4 million views and more than 21,000 comments, several people defended the teacher while others criticized his behavior.

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The video’s caption read, “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Teaching is a labor of love. Comment your thoughts #teacher #teachersoftiktok #teacherproblems #millennialsoftiktok #middleschool.”

In another video he posted the following day, he documented a student painting his nails.

“The student you see in this video has goals and aspirations to become a nail technician… Her mother literally watches my videos constantly. Not only does she love my content, she signed a media release form for her daughter to appear in my videos,” White explained in the video’s voiceover.

According to the district’s code of conduct, teachers should not record students’ faces and voices unless they are teaching a performing arts or career technology course. Additionally, there are no explicit rules for braiding or painting nails, although faculty must “respect students’ personal boundaries by maintaining adequate space and demonstrating appropriate behaviors.”

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Since the first video and White’s transfer from the classroom, he has spoken publicly about the incident via TikTok.

“That video, I agree, it was unprofessional. I didn’t dispute that. Yes, the fact that I unbraided my hair at school and at work was extremely unprofessional. I understand that,” White said.

“I don’t contradict that. But I am what you would call an unprofessional, somewhat eclectic, unconventional teacher,” he said. White then read the definition of “inappropriate,” citing something as inappropriate “if it does not conform to accepted societal norms, standards or expectations.”

He then added: “As far as that definition is concerned, I can agree that this was not only unprofessional, but also inappropriate.” Because what I do as a teacher, what you saw in this video, violates many standards and simply social ones and societal norms and expectations.”

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White did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Friday.

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