A mum has been left outraged after her son received a two-day suspension from school for "laughing" in the hallway during an emergency drill. She explained how her son's school was practising a "mass shooter drill" when a student injured himself and needed to be taken to the onsite nurse.
However as English is his second language, the substitute teacher asked her son and his girlfriend, who was in the same classroom, to accompany the injured student to the nurse and explain what had happened.
The mum, who lives in America, said: "He was walking his girlfriend to class when a mass shooter drill started. He was done with his classes for the day and I was in the parking lot waiting to pick him up. He ducked into his girlfriend's class for the drill and texted me that he had to wait the drill out.
"Then, a kid in this class suddenly bit an entire chunk off his tongue.
"The substitute teacher told my son's girlfriend to take him to the clinic because the injured kid doesn't speak English and she could translate for him.
"Because my son wasn't a student in that class, the sub told him to go with her."
When walking to the nurse's office, another teacher "yelled" at them for being in the hallway during an emergency drill and ordered them to "seek cover" in a nearby bathroom.
"They tried to tell them the student was injured but the adult wouldn't listen and told them to stay right there," she added on Reddit.
"Another dean comes down the hall and supposedly hears them giggling and starts yelling at them, and takes them to her office and immediately gives them a referral without getting the whole story."
The mum went on to explain how her son and his girlfriend are "really good kids" who have "never been in trouble a day in their lives" - so she knew something wasn't quite right when her son replayed the story to her later that day.
The mum wrote: "When my son came out to the car with the referral, I was annoyed. It seems completely insane to me that they'd give a couple of good kids with no discipline record such a harsh punishment.
"Now they have this on their permanent school record. I immediately went to the dean and sat down with her and flat out told her it was crazy, that it was in no way an appropriate punishment.
"She said she would investigate and let me know. But it was like talking to a brick wall. She kept saying they shouldn't have been in the hallway during a drill, while completely ignoring the fact they were trying to help a bleeding, injured kid."
The next school day, the mum marched into her son's school, sat down the dean, and tried to explain what happened from her son's point of view.
"She told us then that she spoke to the assistant principal and according to her, the punishment should have been worse because they ignored other adults who told them to hide in the bathroom," she added.
"At the end of that meeting she said she'd investigate further and call us.
"When she called, she essentially called our kids liars and that they were disobeying adults who told them they needed to hide in the bathrooms, again completely disregarding the fact that there was an injured kid that they were told to help.
"She kept reiterating the fact that my son shouldn't have even been on campus, that he shouldn't be walking her to class and he should immediately leave when his classes are done.
"I again told her that regardless, this was crazy, that she's punishing good kids that have never been in trouble and now they have a permanent record. And for what? For laughing in a hallway?
"Then she said she'd talk to her principal and call me back. But she is acting very combative and not at all cooperative. She thinks she is in the right and it sounds like she has backup from the administration."
While most users agreed this punishment is extreme, others believe it's appropriate because practising for an "mass shooter drill" is no laughing matter.
One user said: "Maybe an unpopular opinion but sounds like your kid learned a hard lesson about doing what you're supposed to be doing when you're supposed to be doing it. Regardless of bad leadership from the sub.
"I totally understand why you'd be feeling upset as the parent and I'm sure your kids a great kid.
"These drills, unfortunately, are extremely serious.
"If there were a real active shooter your kid could have been killed by being out in the hall. What's a bleeding tongue in that situation. Know what I mean?
Another user added: "How does a drill supersede the immediate medical needs of a student. Especially when instructed to go to the clinic by someone in authority.
"If a member of staff had a stroke/heart attack would they be told to just stay quiet until the drill was over before seeking medical attention?"
A third user said: "The substitute messed up. I am a high school teacher and have been in many a lockdown, real and drill.
"Students don’t leave the room. It is a serious problem that they were in the hall. If the child needed the nurse, the sub should have called the main office for guidance. Then they likely would have sent up an admin or security officer to escort the student to the nurse.
"This was substitute error. But I’m wondering if admin fully realizes that. You can push the issue by asking what type of training and preparation their substitutes have for dealing with lockdowns. The answer is probably next to none - and that should drive the point home."
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