Wednesday, April 24, 2024

SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS STUDENTS HAD TO DEPICT MASS SHOOTING IN PUPPET SHOW

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

 

Students had to depict mass shooting in ‘disturbing’ puppet show, Texas district says

BY MIKE STUNSON

APRIL 22, 2024 8:42 AM

 

A high school substitute teacher was suspended following a “disturbing” puppet show assignment, a Texas school district says.

 

The Hays Consolidated Independent School District said the substitute theater arts teacher at Johnson High School was removed from the campus Friday, April 19, following concerns from students.

 

“Students report that the substitute assigned them to perform a puppet show in which at least one puppet had to be murdered,” the school district said in a news release. “Additionally, one group of students reports that their performance would have involved a mass shooting,”

 

The district said it has apologized to the students and parents “for any distress this has caused.”

 

The substitute teacher, who was not named, was hired by the district in January. District officials are investigating the incident and said the teacher may be permanently banned from its schools.

 

“Assigning or allowing this type of performance, if proved to have occurred, would be disturbing and unacceptable conduct for any educator in Hays CISD,” the district said.

 

Johnson High School is in Buda, about a 20-mile drive southwest of Austin. 

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