When it comes to horrible ideas, this North Carolina grade school takes the cake for worst idea ever! A North Carolina public school is under fire (no pun intended) for a decision to provide its sixth-graders with a terrifying “enrichment lesson” involving a “fake” masked gunman. The gunman, who turned out to be one of the school’s very own bright employees, entered each classroom pretending to rob them with a toy gun.
School officials from Eastern Wayne Middle School in Wayne County, N. C. claim the employee was just teaching the students how to be aware of their surroundings, but parents aren’t buying it and continue to question their judgement. And in the light of recent school shootings around the nation, they ought to be.
As complaints began to roll in, the school did admit that their tactics were a bit drastic and “askew.”
“It obviously did lack that sensitivity that was needed…” Ken Derksen, public information officer with Wayne County Public Schools, tells ABC. “In this situation, the exercise in its original intent was appropriate, but in how it was executed it obviously lacked judgment.”
In addition to a public apology, the school sent home an apology letter Monday saying:
As part of an enrichment lesson on exhibiting good citizenship and observing your surroundings, another staff member entered the sixth grade classrooms and pretend to steal an item while dressed in a ski-mask and holding a toy pistol. Even though the play-acting caused some initial concerns, once the skit was completed, the teachers quickly explained who the person was and that the ‘theft’ was not real.
The masked gunman will face disciplinary action and the school will undergo an investigation for its tasteless teaching tactics. – ruthie hawkins/@ruubabie
