Teachers stage fake gunman attack on sixth graders

[voivod]

WTF!?!?!

• Staff members convinced 69 students there was a gunman on the loose
• Students cried and hid under tables during the fake attack
• Parents of the sixth graders were outraged
• Principal Catherine Stephens said the situation "involved poor judgment"


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.

"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."

[voivod]

Parents Upset Over Teacher's 'Prank'
Teachers Told 11-Year-Olds Man With Gun Was Nearby

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Some parents in Murfreesboro said they are outraged after teachers took a prank too far.

They said a group of adults they trusted, including an assistant principal, told their kids a gunman was on the loose, and to take cover.

It happened on an overnight school trip earlier this week.

Channel Four's Catharyn Campbell reported that the parents said on Sunday they were called to Scales Elementary School and given an apology. Their kids, made up a group of nearly 70 11-year-old students who went to Fall Creek Falls State Park, said they got a serious scare.

"He turned out all the lights and said they had just got a call that there were random shootings going around the park," said sixth grade student Shay Naylor.

Naylor said teachers and an assistant principal told her and her classmates to take cover.

"We hear somebody running around the building knocking on one window, and then knocked on another, and went all the way around," Naylor said.

Shortly after the incident, teachers told the kids it was a joke, but the children's parents said they aren't laughing.

Calley Stroud said her daughter is still a nervous wreck.

"She told me she thought it was real. She told me she was crying and praying to God and saying good-bye to her parents. It just broke my heart," said Stroud.

With the recent shootings at Virginia Tech still fresh on everybody's mind, parents said the so called "prank" was way out of line.

"Kids were running underneath tables -- scared, shaking, crying," said another parent.

School principal Catherine Stephens wouldn't elaborate on what happened, but she said she has plans to handle it.

"The circumstance that occurred involved poor judgment. Now, my hope is that we can learn from that, and in the end, have positive growth for all of us," said Stephens.

Some parents said they want the teachers involved to be fired, but at this point, no disciplinary action has been taken.

[ZachenFoot]

All this bullshit happening in 6th grade. Thank God I got past that in 2004

Bunch of fucked up things going on in school's these days. Its disgusting in a way.

If we did a test like this, it would be a lockdown. A nice, calm lockdown. Whatever happened to doing things that way?

[darthadv]

as a parent, i would beat those so-called "teachers" senseless in a dark alley and see how funny they found it... how do you do such a stupid thing to a bunch of kids that are typically too naive not to trust you?!

[avhevhmashdlr]

amazing how some people can act. a teacher you are supposed to trust, screwing around.....i would be suing their asses off the face of the earth.

[darthadv]

oh, they most definitely have a lawsuit on their hands... they traumatized those kids while trivializing a serious issue that has occurred in several schools across the country... those "teachers" should not be ever allowed to go near students ever again, let alone elementary school children...

[Kimmie5150]

That's only about a 45 min. drive from my house. I wish I could go hunt them down myself and slowly torture each of them. Those poor kids! Children are absolutely the most precious gift that you could ever recieve. My heart goes out to each and everyone of them.

[valdez44]

........

[Kimmie5150]

I'm also a parent, that just sickens me. It makes me question the mentality of those teachers.

[Limecuda]

While they definitely should have gotten permission or at least made someone aware, I highly doubt they did this as a mere joke or trivialize anything. I would suspect the VT shootings and this school's location to VT played a role in the thought process. We have drills all of the time, but better judgement should have definitely been used here. Saying people need to be beaten etc. because of this is just moronic. It needs to be investigated and if disciplinary actions issued so be it.

[Kimmie5150]

While they definitely should have gotten permission or at least made someone aware, I highly doubt they did this as a mere joke or trivialize anything. I would suspect the VT shootings and this school's location to VT played a role in the thought process. We have drills all of the time, but better judgement should have definitely been used here. Saying people need to be beaten etc. because of this is just moronic. It needs to be investigated and if disciplinary actions issued so be it.

The school's location isn't anywhere near VT. You're talking at the least an 8 hr. drive. It could've played a role in the thought process though, but if it did those are some screwed up people.

[Raldo]

So what administrator gave their approval for this fucked up idea???

At least when I was in grade school, we did the normal fire drills and tornado drills. There was no panic as we were told way in advance what we were supposed to do.

What those teachers did was just stupid. I know what they were trying to show the kids but I'm an adult. These were just kids who are very impressionable.

[Scotty]

You CAN'T be SERIOUS......

[ZeoBandit]

I have nothing to say about this, other then do any of those teachers possess even a single brain cell?

[wham bam will rock]

I would like to applaud this school.

The kids probably have tornado drills, why not practice cowering in a corner in case some psycho 7th grader goes on a rampage?

I like to think back to that 'ol Boy Scout motto......"be prepared'

God bless America!