Metro Detroit teacher says she was fired for her rap career

DETROIT (WJBK) - Back in December, Domonique Brown was named teacher of the month at Taylor Preparatory High School. Months later, she lost her job because a parent complained about her side hustle.

When she wasn't in the classroom teaching U.S. history, Brown, born and raised in Detroit, began pursing a rap career under the name "Drippin Honey."

By now, her music video "Drippin 101" has been seen by tens of thousands across numerous social media platforms. The video features some of the students she taught, dancing and singing along with her after she found out she had been fired.

Domonique Brown was a U.S. history teacher at Taylor Preparatory High School. She says she was fired for her rap career, where she goes by the name "Drippin Honey."

"My outside life should not be grounds for termination when it does not interfere with my ability to fulfill my responsibilities as a teacher," Brown wrote under her music video on YouTube. "My dedication, professionalism, and passion for education have always been unwavering, regardless of any personal pursuits I may have."

Brown had been teaching for seven years. She is pursuing a master’s degree and is striving for her doctorate. 

The parent's complaint was made anonymously in October 2023, leading to five months of meetings with the school where she had to defend her music career.

"The first meeting was with my dean and my principal and they were just telling me, ‘Hey, a parent said that they’ve seen your social media, and that you’re a bad influence because you’re a rapper,'" Brown said.

However, the parent continued to complain, she said. Despite asking for a complaint in writing, she never received it.

"I was like hey well can we tell that parent to come in and see professionalism, see me in a classroom, see me after school, see me at all the games, see me dropping kids off everyday, buying food?" Brown said. "Can they come see me in my element before they try to say I’m unprofessional in it?"

The "Drippin 101" music video has been seen by tens of thousands across numerous social media platforms. The video features some of the students Domonique Brown taught, dancing and singing along with her after she found out she had been fired.

The rapper believes she was discriminated against.

"Music is part of the culture," she said. "We’re from Motown, this is what we do. So it’s not like it’s unheard of, it’s the culture. When you look like me, you just understand it a little bit … better."

In a statement, a spokesperson for Taylor Prep said they are aware of Brown’s allegations, but student and employee privacy rights limit what they can say.

"Student well-being remains at the forefront of everything we do, and we will continue fostering a distraction-free teaching and learning environment focused on student success," the statement read in-part.

"If I was a horrible teacher, y’all would have dropped me the day it was a problem," Brown said, adding that the school was not transparent enough about why they fired her. 

The former teacher said she will be hiring an attorney to take legal action against the school.