News update, Tenn. District: Fake Attack Was a Prank. (spokeswoman, school, state)

[JD59]

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A teacher and assistant principal who frightened sixth-grade students on a class trip by telling them a gunman was on the loose were staging a prank, a spokeswoman for the schools said.

The school district's statement reversed earlier statements by the assistant principal that it was planned as a learning experience.

Teacher Quentin Mastin came up with the prank, said Murfreesboro City School District spokeswoman Cheryl Harris. It was his turn to tell a scary story to 69 sixth-graders from Scales Elementary School who were on a weeklong trip at Fall Creek Falls State Park.

http://home.peoplepc.com/psp/newssto...05151930099303

[FL_TN_Nana]

Sounds like these teachers need to grow up and get some common sense. Sheesh....how unfair to those kids who were scared by someone they probably trusted. This is too close to reality to be a 'scary movie' type experience. I'm sure someone could have come up with a scary story that was at least unlikely to happen -- like ghost or headless horseman type stories. I didn't read the entire article, but I hope these teachers are at least reprimanded and perhaps suspended for a couple of days.