Teachers stage fake gunman attack on sixth-graders

[westofyou]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05...ked.attack.ap/

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee (AP) -- Staff members of an elementary school staged a fictitious gun attack on students during a class trip, telling them it was not a drill as the children cried and hid under tables.

The mock attack Thursday night was intended as a learning experience and lasted five minutes during the weeklong trip to a state park, said Scales Elementary School Assistant Principal Don Bartch, who led the trip.

"We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he said.

But parents of the sixth-grade students were outraged. (Watch student recount incident, mother react Video)

"The children were in that room in the dark, begging for their lives, because they thought there was someone with a gun after them," said Brandy Cole, whose son went on the trip.

Some parents said they were upset by the staff's poor judgment in light of the April 16 shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 students and professors dead, including the gunman.

During the last night of the trip, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose. They were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on a locked door.

After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, 11-year-old Shay Naylor said.

"I was like, 'Oh My God,' " she said. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out."

Principal Catherine Stephens declined to say whether the staff members involved would face disciplinary action, but said the situation "involved poor judgment."

Ya think?

[RFS62]

what a bunch of idiots

[Roy Tucker]

If I were to make a list of Top 10 Really Bad Ideas, this would be in the top 3.

[registerthis]

Wow, and wow. So many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to begin.

My wife is employed with a private school here in the D.C. area. Recently, they staged a "Code Blue" exercise, which is the term for when someone gains access to campus/school building who should not otherwise be there.

The exercise was conducted on a professional's work day when the students were not in. The faculty and staff were aware that an exercise would be conducted in advance. The school, in fact, has a policy AGAINST staging any mock drills such as this while students are present--although the standard fire/tornado drills persist. Under no circumstances would the school administration lie to children and make them believe their lives were at risk--replete with a hooded "gunman", no less.

This has lawsuit written all over it, and the parents are rightly outraged. The leadership at the school should be dismissed over this.

[TeamDunn]

There is absolutely nothing they can do to rectify this. Even if they fired the teachers involved the damage is already done to those kids.

I feel ill. I could not imagine being one of them thinking I was about to die.

This is horrible.

[Chip R]

What brainiac came up with this idea?

[M2]

My son went to the zoo recently and his class put on a recorder concert. My daugther's looking forward to Field Day and was in a play.

They do a lot of reading, math, social studies and science too.

But are they getting enough mortal terror? I think not.

[WMR]

Oh jeez this is awful. Please wait a year and let me represent the terrorized kids in their lawsuit.

I'll have to show this to my mom, she's an elementary school principal.

[pedro]

I'd fire every one of those teachers.

[dabvu2498]

Originally Posted by RFS62

what a bunch of idiots

Two words: Murfreesboro and Tennessee.

[SunDeck]

Originally Posted by M2

My son went to the zoo recently and his class put on a recorder concert. My daugther's looking forward to Field Day and was in a play.

They do a lot of reading, math, social studies and science too.

But are they getting enough mortal terror? I think not.

They will grow up weak.

I like to jump out from behind the piano now and then with a meat cleaver. Keeps my kids on their toes.

You never know. You just never know.

[Ltlabner]

Originally Posted by SunDeck

They will grow up weak.

I like to jump out from behind the piano now and then with a meat cleaver. Keeps my kids on their toes.

You never know. You just never know.

That's a good one.

I prefer setting small fires in their bedrooms while they are sleeping. Occasionally, I'll chain their bedroom doors shut to help them understand they might have to escape the inferno in a creative way.

[registerthis]

Originally Posted by Ltlabner

I prefer setting small fires in their bedrooms while they are sleeping. Occasionally, I'll chain their bedroom doors shut to help them understand they might have to escape the inferno in a creative way.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

My mind is completely blown. Not just because it happened, but because it seems that an entire group of teachers got together and decided that this would be a good idea.

[Degenerate39]

Idiots I can't believe anyone would do that.