School Terrifies Students with Fake Gunman Attack

Scales Elementary students in Murfreesboro, Tennessee were terrified when their teachers told them there was a gunman in the area.

Thursday was the last night of the sixth grade camping trip to Fall Creek Falls, a state park south of Nashville. The students were in their cabins packing to go home the next morning when a teacher told them a gunman was in the park and they needed to take cover. They huddled under tables as someone tugged on a locked door; then the lights went out and the children started to cry.

"I was like, 'Oh My God,'" said Shay Naylor, a student on the trip. "At first I thought I was going to die. We flipped out."

Other students told their parents that they were shaking, holding hands, and begging for their lives. The incident last about five minutes, then the lights were turned on and the kids were told it was a joke.

According to the school, it's tradition for the staff to play a prank on the kids during the last night of the camping trip. In this case, the teachers had hoped to use the prank as a learning tool. "We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," said Assistant Principal Don Bartch.

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

The school denies that version of events. According to a statement released May 13, 2007, the coverage has been sensationalized. The school maintains that once the prank was revealed, the students exchanged high fives and said, "That was a good one" and "Yeah, you got me."

Teachers comforted three boys and a handful of girls. The incident wasn't mentioned again that night or in the morning as they prepared to leave.

As soon as parents learned what happened, they began contacting the school. Principal Catherine Stephens scheduled a meeting for Saturday afternoon. Of the 69 families invited, 42 attended. According to the school's press release, only six parents commented to Stephens after the meeting; four were upset and two were supportive.

The school acknowledges that the prank was the result of poor judgement. Any disciplinary action will be determined by Marilyn Mathis, the Director of Schools.

SOURCES:

" Teachers stage fake gunman attack on sixth graders," CNN, May 13, 2007
URL: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/13/faked.attack.ap/index.html

"Teachers' phony attack upsets Murfreesboro students, parents," Tennessean, May 13, 2007
URL: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070513/COUNTY07/705130406

"Scales Elementary Fall Creek Falls Field Trip," Scales Elementary Press Release, May 13, 2007
URL: http://www.cityschools.net/schoolsites/se/index.html