Teachers stage fake gun attack on children

[Gerk]

When you think people can't get any dumber

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (May 14) - 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 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."

[nickwadden]

oh god, people are getting so soft. the kids did what they were told and everything was fine. Its a learning experience. Lets hope they never actually have to go through this.

[Gerk]

Originally Posted by nickwadden

oh god, people are getting so soft. the kids did what they were told and everything was fine. Its a learning experience. Lets hope they never actually have to go through this.

I'm sure the courts will see it much differently. This is a lawsuit waiting to happen and if you wanted to do a learning experience on something like that, this is NOT the way to do it

[Romanowski]

hilltoppers are fin nuts

[revnecro1273]

shouldnt they be facing criminal prosecution for that? it is the same as pretending to rob a store or a bank with fake guns...it is a felony one in the same...total crap and they should be arrested and tried in a court of law

[revnecro1273]

nm...didnt read the story thoruoughly...thought they actually pulled guns on them or something...they just told a story, like a ghost story...dont see anything wrong with that then