Alabama Principal Reimagines ‘U Can’t Touch This’ As Plea For COVID-19 Safety

An Alabama principal hopes to encourage his students to take their school’s COVID-19 safety measures seriously with a topical reimagining of a 1990s rap classic. 

Quentin J. Lee of Childersburg, Alabama, unveiled his version of MC Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” last week. The clip finds Lee traversing the halls of Childersburg High School, where he has worked for nearly four years, armed with a no-contact thermometer and urging students to “Stop! Sanitize!”

The “U Can’t Touch This” parody is just one of many videos on Lee’s YouTube page, but it’s the most-viewed by far. As of Tuesday afternoon, the clip had been checked out more than 4 million times, and received over 40,000 likes. 

It’s also helped put Lee ― who has since been profiled by CNN and ABC News, among other outlets ― on the national map as schools continue to grapple with reopening plans as coronavirus cases remain on the rise in many states. 

Childersburg High School is part of Alabama’s Talladega County School District and located about 40 miles southeast of Birmingham. The school is scheduled to reopen Aug. 20, operating via a “blended learning model” that comprises both in-person and remote classes for the foreseeable future. 

“We’re always looking out for the safety and well-being of our students,” Lee told USA Today in an interview published Tuesday. “COVID-19 is definitely something that’s affecting us all, but we’ve got to make sure that with the decision made for us to go back to school, we’ve got to follow our protocols and our guidelines to try to help ensure safety. 

“As an educator, I still have a charge to give my students what they need in terms of education,” he added. “I don’t want students missing these opportunities for an education.”

Watch Lee’s version of “U Can’t Touch This” below.