Former Phillis Wheatley High School teacher Traci Wade-Tousant is pushing back after social media personality Darius Cooks posted a tearful video criticizing the reading and writing abilities of students at Houston’s Wheatley High School.
She says the comments unfairly painted a group of older students she previously taught. Wade-Tousant accuses Cook of trying to use her students to “gain followers.”
Wade-Tousant, who claims to have taught many of the students Cooks now has in his classroom, responded directly to his Aug. 11 video.
As previously reported, Cooks transitioned from the kitchen into the classroom this week and has recently gone viral for teaching at the Houston school.
Wade-Tousant responded to a video posted to Cooks’ social media, where he tearfully discussed his experience in the classroom. In the clip, Cook said he became overwhelmed after asking his students to read two paragraphs and write a sentence about what they had read.
“I literally broke down in the middle of class because I’m teaching seniors,” Cooks said in the video. He said he expected the students to leave high school and potentially attend college after graduation.
Cook then described an exercise in which he provided students with a sentence and asked them to complete four words.
“These are 17 and 18-year-old kids, and they couldn’t fill in four words. Four words!” he said. “I have seniors who simply cannot read and seniors who cannot write.”
Wade-Tousant stated that she was particularly troubled by his decision to discuss the students publicly after only two days of class.
“I am deeply concerned about the messaging in this video clip,” Wade-Tousant wrote in the comments beneath his video. She stated she taught the students for two years in English 1 and 2 and described the current seniors as “some of THE strongest readers and writers Wheatley has seen in a long time.”
Wade-Tousant strongly disputed Cooks’ characterization of the students. She said the students had already completed advanced coursework and written college-level assignments under her instruction.
She noted that some had completed AP Seminar as sophomores and later enrolled in English courses at Houston Community College. “How dare you post a video on the 2nd day of school, with these accusations of illiteracy!” she wrote.
For Wade-Tousant, the issue went beyond whether individual students struggled with Cooks’ assignment. She argued that educators need time to understand what their students know before making sweeping judgments about their abilities, and she also emphasized that the students need teachers who believe they can succeed.
“I WILL say that the students at Wheatley will work for those who believe in them, hold them accountable, push them out of their comfort zones, and LOVE THEM,” she wrote.
Wade-Tousant, who has worked in education for 26 years, said she remains protective of the students despite no longer teaching at Wheatley this school year.
“I’ve been an educator for 26 years and some of my PROUDEST MOMENTS have come from watching my kids excel,” she wrote. “And yes, I am saying MY KIDS, because they are.”
She ultimately accused Cooks of using the students and their circumstances to build his social media following.
“Do not use social media and the students at Wheatley to gain followers,” Wade-Tousant wrote. “The truth will always come out.”
Her comments also prompted other social media users to question Cooks’ decision to post the video, with many pointing out that he should not have done so on a public platform where the upperclass high school students themselves can see the comments.
One commenter wrote, “The fact that the students have seen his video and were hurt by it was one of my biggest concerns. Never liked that clout chasing man.”
Another person said students could feel humiliated if they came across a teacher publicly criticizing their abilities.
“I would be deeply offended if I saw my teacher crying on the internet talking about ‘ThEy CaN’t ReAd n wRiTe,’” the commenter wrote. “You have a school year!! Teach the kids, they’re right in front of you.”
Another agreed, “Oh wow thank God social media wasn’t around or at least not popular like this when I was in high school, I can’t imagine scrolling IG and seeing my teacher online crying about my class not being able to read.”
Another commenter argued that even if Cooks’ concerns could have been valid, publicly discussing them could undermine his relationship with his students.
“All students need hope & respect, not disdain & contempt,” the person wrote, adding that the post raised concerns about “students’ privacy & professional standards.”
A parent also questioned Cooks’ account, pointing to the students’ previous academic work. “It’s IMPOSSIBLE for a kid to have been taught at the AP level but they can’t read or write,” the commenter wrote.
Another simply commented, “The guy was seeking, and got, a viral moment at the expense of children. Real, committed teachers believe in children’s ability to learn and they pour into them with patience, love and care.”
The backlash highlights a larger concern surrounding Cooks’ video: Whatever difficulties he encountered during his first days in the classroom, the students at the center of his post are teenagers who may see what Cooks said about them online, especially as the post has gone viral.
The backlash also raised questions about whether Williams is qualified to teach in Texas, and many are speculating that his alleged certifications may be false. KPRC reporter Rilwan Balogun conducted his own review of the state’s teacher certification records and said he could not find a certification listed under Williams’ name. Balogun noted that Texas allows some educators who do not hold traditional teaching certifications to work in classrooms under certain circumstances. That means the absence of a certification record does not necessarily mean Williams is barred from teaching in Texas.
However, Cooks has claimed he is “three courses into his Masters of Education (Curriculum and Instruction) at American College of Education. And he quietly passed his content certification over the summer to be a CERTIFIED teacher. He also finished his certification coursework and all he needs is his field hours – which he will get over the next two weeks when school starts. Oh, and he’s also ServSafe certified and getting his doctorate degree in Education once he finished his Masters degree.”
Questions about Cooks’ background have also brought renewed attention to his years as the online personality DariusCooks. (His actual name is Darius Williams.) His cooking brand faced a major setback in 2019 after he agreed to pay $145,750 in restitution and penalties to the state of Georgia over issues involving his credit repair business, Above 701.
Complaints involving his other ventures continued to surface. Customers and former business associates accused Williams of failing to deliver products or services they had paid for, while celebrity chefs also publicly raised concerns about his business practices.
The Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta issued a warning about DariusCooks LLC in 2021 after receiving complaints from customers who said they paid for cookware, cookbooks and dining experiences they never received. “BBB advises consumers to use caution when doing business with DariusCooks, LLC,” the organization said.The BBB profile identifies Williams as the owner of DariusCooks LLC.
In May 2022, the organization issued another consumer warning after receiving multiple complaints about the company. At the time, the BBB gave DariusCooks LLC an “F” rating and again urged consumers to exercise caution.
The BBB’s current profile continues to show complaints against the company, including reports involving merchandise that customers say was never delivered and disputes over refunds.
