Teenager accidentally CC’d on HR email reveals he was fired after joking about rejection on TikTok

He had applied to coffee shop to supplement income as substitute teacher

A teenager who recently learned he was rejected from a job as a barista when he was accidentally CC’d into an email by the company’s human resources manager has revealed he has since lost his primary job because of his viral TikTok.

Alexander, 19, who lives in Ithaca, New York, and goes by the username @noveltygay on TikTok, recently shared a screenshot of the email that he accidentally received from a coffee company, in which the HR manager had discussed plans to reject his application.

“Well that’s interesting okay so let’s reject him…” the email sent from the company employee read. The video has since been viewed more than 4.7m times.

While speaking to The Independent, Alexander, who is pursuing a degree in education, revealed that the viral video has since cost him his job as a substitute teacher.

According to Alexander, who first spoke to us on Friday, he had initially applied to work at the coffee shop as a way of supplementing his income as a substitute teacher, as he told us “as you can imagine, substitute teaching is not very consistent and there are two-week periods where I only bring home a little over $100”.

While reflecting on the rejection on Friday, the TikToker said that the experience ultimately reminded him that he loves his job as a substitute teacher. Alexander, who also told us that the HR manager who accidentally CC’d him into the email had apologised, had previously criticised the coffee shop for its disorganisation, while acknowledging that he is a “good” employee who has trained under “nationally certified baristas”.

While Alexander did not have a successful experience job hunting, he said that his experience with viral fame as a result of the TikTok had been a “very positive experience,” as he had been flooded with supportive comments after sharing the HR manager’s mistake.

“As for the viral response, It has been absolutely insane. People have flooded in with support and stories of their own, and in the best way possible, the comment section has become a place to laugh it off and share your experiences,” he said. “There’s nothing quite as comforting as high executives and published authors sharing their similar embarrassing stories. Literal HR managers appeared in the comments and validated my experience and my reactions, which has certainly helped me from feeling too much guilt from the popularity.”

“I do love my job as of current and this whole experience has made me want to stay within my ‘lane,’ if you will, for just a little bit longer,” he added at the time.

On Monday, however, Alexander revealed on social media that he had been fired from his substitute teaching job because of his TikTok.

“Guys don’t go viral because apparently that’s a valid reason to get let go from your job,” he captioned a selfie on Instagram.

Man who was CC’d in HR email reveals he was fired from primary job after he joked about rejection in TikTok (Instagram / @Noveltygay)

While speaking to The Independent on Monday, Alexander confirmed that he was referring to his substitute teaching job.

“A parent saw the viral TikTok and sent my TikTok handle to school administrators along with a complaint,” he said. “Administration looked through it and saw ones I had made about my experience subbing at a young age. It was a quick chat but what I gathered from it was that I understandably wasn’t allowed to involve the school in social media.”

According to the 19 year old, although he was terminated from the role for the remainder of the school year, he was told that he can “apply again when I’ve gained more ‘maturity’ as they put it”.

In a follow-up email, Alexander said: “I did my job and I did it very well. I held friendships with many students and staff at the school. I’ve done this job for nearly nothing simply because I enjoyed it. It’s devastating.”

On TikTok, Alexander has alluded to his termination in a series of videos, with one video showing the 19 year old sharing “solid life advice” and urging others not to “air out a company’s dirty laundry”. In the comments, he wrote: “If any of my students see this, I’ll miss you.”

In response to the TikToker’s latest updates, he has received mixed reactions, with some viewers sharing their support. “Idk how they’re mad at you, they were the messy ones to be honest,” one person wrote, while another said: “Companies are so crooked omg.”

However, others have claimed Alexander is facing the “consequences” of his own actions, with someone else adding: “Lmao well if it isn’t the consequences of my own actions.”