She’s teaching these kids a lesson they won’t soon forget.
The schoolyard to jailyard pipeline may soon be welcoming another troubled youth, as a ticked-off teacher is calling the cops on a student who robbed her of a trendy trinket valued at nearly $300.
But rather than rallying around the educator with support, nagging naysayers on the internet say she’s “overreacting” by threatening minors with 9-1-1.
“I am finally filing a police report for the Hello Kitty Funko Pop that was stolen off my desk,” Ms. Dawson, a high school teacher, based in Texas, announced to over 14.9 million TikTok viewers in a viral vid.
A victim of sticky-fingered theft, Dawson explained that her Funko Pop — a collectible vinyl figurine in the shape of a popular cartoon cat — was a present from a former third-grade student, who gifted her the toy six years ago. The hot commodity is currently up for bid at $249.99 on eBay.
She placed the bauble on display in her Hello Kitty-themed classroom at the dawn of the 2025-2026 academic session, only for it to be nabbed by a pupil with a penchant for petty theft in late September.
And now, after giving the culprit several opportunities to either fess up or anonymously return the item sans repercussions, a fed-up Dawson is dialing up the authorities.
Incidents of senseless thievery can be added to a laundry list of reasons why teachers are abandoning the profession in droves.
The mass exodus from education is picking up steam, according to a recent report, which found that over 60% of teachers are dissatisfied in their careers due to burnout fueled by the disrespect and disorderly conduct of their students.
Stacey Sawyer, a former 8th-grade teacher from Cape Coral, Florida, previously told The Post she ditched her gig at the chalkboard in fear of her own safety.
“It was getting to the point that it was scary,” said Sawyer of the violence exhibited by the middle schoolers. “There were a few days that I was scared to go to school.”
Dawson, however, is not afraid to bring her underage violator to justice by reporting the Hello Kitty toy theft, despite the virtual firestorm of flak she’s receiving from carping critics online.
“[I don’t] agree with getting police involved, especially knowing how that could affect their future,” wrote a sympathetic commenter, in part. “I understand this is a valuable item, however these are still kids.”
“I just know the student is so scared,” another bleeding heart chimed.
“I wouldn’t threaten [the kids with] the police,” suggested a separate spectator, “by saying you’ll involve the police might make the kid less likely to bring it back.”
Internet trolls even blamed Dawson for the theft, arguing that she basically baited the kiddie crook with a shiny new must-have.
“If it was so special, [you] should have left it home,” a critic scolded. “You’re there to teach not bring toys to work.”
But Dawson remains undeterred.
“It’s a shame that I can’t feel comfortable and safe in my classroom,” she said in the clip, admitting she was previously unaware of the Funk Pop’s monetary value. “To know that my item was stolen and not returned to me is very heartbreaking.”
“And now that [I know] it had value, I can file a police report,” Dawson added with a smile. “I will be doing it because I mean business.”
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