Tracy Morgan drew backlash after disparaging comments about teachers during a conversation with Marcello Hernandez for a Saturday Night Live segment, including claims that teachers are “still making minimum wage” and that he “can’t stand teachers.”
A conversation meant to be playful turned sharp fast.
In a clip shared by Variety. Marcello Hernandez—speaking during Saturday Night Live—joked about getting in trouble at school for being mischievous and talking too much. Tracy Morgan defended that kind of behavior, saying, “They didn’t understand you. You had a sense of humor. And they couldn’t control that. God gave that to you.”.
Hernandez then leaned into the theme, telling Morgan he’s now “getting paid for mischief.” Morgan didn’t just respond—he pivoted. After Hernandez’s line landed, Morgan took a swipe at teachers who are “still making minimum wage,” punctuating the moment with a sip from his mug.
Hernandez reacted immediately. “No,” he shouted with a seemingly uncomfortable laugh. Morgan asked, “You know how much them teachers probably making right now?” Hernandez answered, “Man, not enough.”
The backlash didn’t come out of nowhere. Morgan didn’t stop at pay. He added that he “can’t stand teachers,” and he mocked what he described as their “ceiling” in the profession.
“I can’t stand teachers,” Morgan said. “You know why? Because they have a ceiling. They have a limit. That’s all they ever gonna be. Man, I teach my kids, sky’s the limit.”
Morgan’s remarks landed on a sensitive fault line: teachers’ day-to-day work in elementary schools and the reality that these teachers are often expected to stretch further with limited resources—spending their own money on school supplies. The clip also put the focus on what teachers face every day. not just what they say or how they’re perceived.
In the moment, Hernandez tried to steer things away from the edge Morgan kept pushing. The laughter that followed the “No” didn’t match the tone that had built before it—one that moved from schoolyard mischief into an argument about whose effort is valued and whose pay falls short.
Tracy Morgan Marcello Hernandez Saturday Night Live Variety Actors on Actors teachers minimum wage backlash education