Georgetown, Guyana – Mae’s School has dismissed Renetta Somersett, the cleaner who publicly claimed she saved students during the recent school fire, citing repeated misconduct and performance violations rather than her alleged heroics.
Somersett, who was widely referred to as Alana Adams on social media, gained attention after stating she played a key role in evacuating students when a fire broke out on March 5. In an emotional Facebook Live video, she described being let go without notice and expressed disappointment, saying she had remained loyal to the school even after receiving job offers elsewhere in the aftermath of the fire.
However, Mae’s School has firmly refuted her version of events and clarified the reasons for her dismissal. According to the administration, Somersett had a documented history of late arrivals, absenteeism, confrontational behavior, unprofessional conduct-including inappropriate language toward students-and was repeatedly found sleeping on the job. The school stated that she was not present during the evacuation; by the time she arrived late that morning, students had already been safely removed from the building by three parents and a student.
The administration emphasized that Somersett’s dismissal was a necessary decision, unrelated to her public claims, and based on multiple warnings and ongoing breaches of conduct and performance standards. They also noted that, out of consideration for her personal circumstances as a single mother and the timing near International Women’s Day, they initially chose not to publicly challenge her statements.
The case has sparked debate online about workplace communication and the treatment of staff, but Mae’s School maintains that the safety and well-being of students remain its top priority. The school wished Somersett well in her future endeavors and encouraged the public to critically assess her claims.