Was the Hawk Tuah Girl Fired From Her Job as a Preschool Teacher?

Unless you're living under a rock, you've heard of the viral "Hawk Tuah Girl." She's everywhere — TikTok, YouTube, the news, and she even has her own merch. After her charming yet NSFW interview with Tim & Dee TV went viral, the hawk tuah girl became an internet sensation, inspiring millions of memes and a global search for her identity.

After days of searching, the Tennessee girl was identified as Hailey Welch. However, not much more was known about her — until rumors began to fly that Hailey was actually a preschool teacher who was fired from her job because of the interview.

Is it true?

Because the internet is the internet, any gaps in factual information will be quickly filled in by rumors and hoaxes — and this seems to be a perfect example.

A viral post from a Facebook page called the Tippah County Tribune claimed that the "hawk tuah girl" was Hailey Wellington of Ripley, Miss., and that she had been fired from her job as a preschool teacher.

The post claims that Epstein Day School Director Carla Reed released a statement regarding the incident: “We have kids spitting on each other and everything else since they heard their beloved Miss Hailey say 'spit on that thang' on YouTube. They really look up to her as a role model and imitate the things that she does."

"We love Hailey but unfortunately we cannot allow this type of behavior from one of our very own faculty members," the post continued.

The post goes on to quote a "response" from Hailey herself: "What I said during that interview was based on my own personal thoughts. I was giving good advice to those who might want to have a little fun. I have the right to share my life experiences if I choose to do so. It has nothing to do with the kind of teacher I am for my kids. It is outright discrimination and I plan to seek retribution against the preschool."

While the post provides plenty of detail, including the supposed quote from Hailey herself, many readers failed to realize that the "Tippah County Tribune" is a self-proclaimed satire publication. In fact, their header boasts that they're the "county's No. 1 publication for satirical laughs."

So, no, Hailey is decidedly not a preschool teacher who was fired from a job in from Ripley, Miss.

In fact, fast-forward to late June, and Hailey actually revealed a little bit about her real occupation.

After Hailey showed up on stage as the surprise guest at a Zach Bryan show on June 29, she sat down for an interview with Zach Bryan's longtime girlfriend, influencer Brianna LaPaglia, for the Plan Bri Uncut podcast.

Hailey mentioned that after dropping out of school "a year or two ago," she had been working at a spring factory, but had recently quit. (Perhaps the impressive sales of her official merch were part of that decision?)