A TikToker is receiving backlash and accusations of fat-shaming, for saying that he pulled his children out of school after learning that their teacher is fat.
In an October 6 TikTok, Kris Krohn explains why he pulled his children out of public schooling. His 55 second video details that he did so because his children’s teacher was “200 pounds overweight.”
“You’re low energy, you’re depressed,” Krohn says he told his kids’ teacher. “I’m concerned with the amount [of] influence you’re exerting.”
He also says he told the teacher that they are not “an inspiring human being,” and that he now picks teachers for his children that are the “fittest.”
@kriskrohn Why I Pulled My Kids Out Of Public School
♬ original sound – Kris Krohn
Krohn’s video went viral—on Monday, it had almost 350,000 views on TikTok—and received many supportive comments. However, Krohn is also garnering backlash for his disparaging remarks about fat people.
Fatphobia, or anti-fat bias, describes prejudice or discrimination against fat people simply because of their shape, size, and/or weight. One of the ways this manifests is through fat-shaming, or harassment and mistreatment of fat people for their size.
Additionally, fatphobia has also been reported in the workplace, where these biases often prevent fat and/or larger sized people from getting jobs and other career opportunities.
@MightyMurphInFash, a TikToker whose content focuses on fat liberation and plus size fashion, stitched Krohn’s video with their own response.
“To equate weight with morals and how much you care about yourself and what your influence over children is just absolutely ignorant and asinine,” they said in their video. “Basing your judgment of your child’s teacher solely based on their appearance… Good luck to those kids.”
@mightymurphinfash #stitch with @Kris Krohn God forbid fat people have jobs like other humans #plussize #marginalizedbodies #antifatbias #fatpeoplearepeopletoo ♬ original sound – MMFR | Plus Size Fashion
In a statement to the Daily Dot, @MightyMurphInFash elaborated on how Krohn’s comments make them worry for his children.
“What concerns me the most is the message it sends to his children and others. That it’s ok to make these assumptions based on appearance, that it’s ok to uphold these beliefs based on really outdated knowledge,” @MightyMurphInFash told the Daily Dot.
That “outdated knowledge” includes factors like the body mass index (BMI), which was a measurement used by doctors worldwide to calculate someone’s health as determined by their weight, since it was introduced in the 1980s. After decades of controversy, the BMI scale was recently deemed inaccurate.
“Why are people still making these assumptions?” @MightyMurphInFash said. “We should know better!”
The Daily Dot reached out to Krohn via email.
