Hartland Consolidated Schools fired a teacher after he made a disturbing joke about shooting students dressed as turkeys for Thanksgiving. The incident occurred on November 21, when the teacher posed the children in front of an image of a hunter with a gun and then sent a photo to colleagues with a message saying which child to "pick off first." The district's administrators described the teacher's actions as "despicable and thoughtless."
According to school officials, the incident was immediately reported to building administrators after staff who received the text from the teacher notified them. An investigation ensued, during which the teacher admitted responsibility for the joke. However, it took more than two weeks for the district to alert families about what happened.
In a letter sent to parents, Superintendent Charles Hughes and school officials stated that the incident was closed as far as they were concerned, but any further actions would be taken by law enforcement and the Livingston County Prosecutor's office. The district also assured parents that no child was in danger at any time during the incident.
Critics have described the teacher's joke as a sickening attempt to intimidate students, particularly those who may already feel anxious or vulnerable. Some have called for greater accountability from schools and educators when it comes to addressing issues of bullying and harassment.
According to school officials, the incident was immediately reported to building administrators after staff who received the text from the teacher notified them. An investigation ensued, during which the teacher admitted responsibility for the joke. However, it took more than two weeks for the district to alert families about what happened.
In a letter sent to parents, Superintendent Charles Hughes and school officials stated that the incident was closed as far as they were concerned, but any further actions would be taken by law enforcement and the Livingston County Prosecutor's office. The district also assured parents that no child was in danger at any time during the incident.
Critics have described the teacher's joke as a sickening attempt to intimidate students, particularly those who may already feel anxious or vulnerable. Some have called for greater accountability from schools and educators when it comes to addressing issues of bullying and harassment.
IT'S NOT FUNNY AT ALL, IT'S JUST A REASON FOR KIDS TO FEEL SCARED AND UNCOMFORTABLE IN SCHOOL! HOW CAN YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON PURPOSE? 
THE TEACHER SHOULD BE FIRED FOR LIFE FOR HIS ACTIONS AND THE DISTRICT SHOULD DO WAY MORE THAN JUST SAY SORRY AND CLOSE THE CASE. IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO TAKE REAL ACTION AGAINST BULLYING AND HARASSMENT IN SCHOOLS! 
... I mean, what kind of person does that? A teacher is supposed to be like a mentor and a guide, not someone who tries to traumatize their students for laughs. And the fact that it took two weeks for the school to even tell parents about it is just crazy talk 
... can't they just be upfront with the people who care about these kids? It's not like it's a secret or something.
It's just not right, you know?
... it was straight-up sick and disturbing. And yeah, schools need to do a better job of addressing bullying and harassment issues before they get out of hand like this. It's just not okay 
the school should've taken action way faster, like a day or something instead of two weeks. that's just too long to keep something like this under wraps. schools need better training on how to deal with situations like this so it doesn't happen again. we gotta protect our kids from people who might not have their best interests at heart 
According to a study from 2020, schools in the US reported over 1.8 million incidents of bullying, with students who identify as LGBTQ+ being 2x more likely to experience bullying 
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: a study published in 2019 found that even mild teasing can lead to anxiety and depression in students. Meanwhile, the teacher's joke took place just one day after Thanksgiving 
, which is already a super stressful time for many kids.
. We need to do better, and we need to start now 
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This is super disturbing... I mean, what kind of person makes jokes like that?! 
I get where they're trying to say something about the pressure on kids during Thanksgiving, but shooting pictures of kids dressed as turkeys with a gun? That's not funny, that's just messed up 
. And it's even worse when you think about those poor kids who might already be feeling nervous or insecure... for them to have someone make them feel even more uncomfortable like that is just cruel 
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kids deserve better, especially on thanksgiving when everyone's supposed to be all about gratitude and love... this is just the opposite 
Like, who does that? It just goes to show you that some people don't understand the power dynamics at play when it comes to kids. This isn't just about a bad joke, it's about creating a culture of fear and disrespect.
and I was wearing this super tacky outfit, like a neon green sweat suit with yellow stripes... lol, what was I thinking?! 
i mean, 2 weeks is pretty quick when you're talking about something as serious as this. and the fact that they're leaving it up to law enforcement and prosecutors shows they take it super seriously 
anyway, gotta give props to the staff who reported it in the first place - they were doing their job & keeping those kids safe 
but at the same time, I feel bad for him 'cause everyone's gonna roast him like crazy. And honestly, why take so long to tell parents about it? Like, two weeks feels like an eternity when you're waiting to find out what happened to your kid. But on the other hand, maybe it was a precaution thing and they just didn't wanna freak anyone out 
anyway, I think schools gotta be more aware of these kinds of incidents 'cause if a teacher's gonna make a joke like that, who knows how far it'll go? And btw, what's up with Thanksgiving turkey costumes tho? Like, is that even necessary? 
. Two weeks is way too long to keep it a secret from parents, what if one of them had reported something suspicious earlier? 
. But still, the fact that the teacher thought this was a funny idea and didn't care about the impact on his students is just appalling 
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