A Michigan high school teacher has reportedly been suspended over disturbing comments in the aftermath of the Oxford High School shooting that left four students dead last week.
Teachers’ Disturbing Comments Over The Oxford High School Shooting
The reports made by WWMT claim that the teacher allegedly spoke with students the day after the deadly shooting. He seemingly gave advice to the shooter, telling the class that he should have caused a distraction in order “to kill the people that he would need to.” The teacher, who has not been identified, is said to have mentioned physical violence and weapons. The teacher has been placed on leave until the investigation is completed.
Gary Wood, the superintendent of Hopkins Public Schools, confirmed the suspension but did not mention exactly what the teacher was accused of saying. “Students were subjected to insensitive comments regarding violence and other concerning statements,” Wood said in a letter to parents obtained by MLive.com. “These comments took place in multiple class periods by a single teacher.”
While Wood didn’t appear to elaborate on the comments, one parent told the local TV station, Kalamazoo’s News Channel 3, that the teacher mused to students about how he would have executed the Oxford shooting. His comments to students reportedly came after Hopkins High School principal Ken Szczepanski sent a memo to teachers advising them on how to comfort the students after the deadly shootings.
Parents Angered By The Situation, Some Call For Termination
Despite this, parents said the teacher went into elaborative detail about further violence. “The things that he said, how he would’ve committed the act differently with detail, is extremely scary,” said one parent, who spoke to the news outlet anonymously.
Another parent said that the teacher should be fired for having this conversation with students. “Zero tolerance, zero tolerance, absolutely not should he be back in school or teaching anywhere, ever,” the parent stated.
According to Wood, students reported the teacher’s comments to Hopkins High School’s principal, Ken Szczepanski. Szczepanski told the station the comments were “insensitive” and “off-script” from the planned conversations but added that he believed the situation was “contained.”
“We would not have been in school today had we not felt that it was a safe environment for these students,” Szczepanski said.
The school notified police of the incident, and Michigan State Police have taken over the investigation, according to WZZM13. Dozens of schools in Michigan closed last week after at least 100 copycat threats surfaced in response to the Oxford shooting, according to law enforcement.
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