Parents in Ontario, Canada are justifiably angry at a prank pulled by teachers on the graduating students of a South Windsor where students were convinced that they were gong to be taken to Disneyland as a graduation gifts and then crushed when told it was just an elaborate joke. The joke left many students at Roseland in tears and left parents fuming about the worst joke ever.
The teachers brought both Grade 8 classes at Roseland into an assembly room to show them a video of their dream vacation and a powerpoint presentation on all of the fun and rides awaiting them. Even travel brochures and hotel information was passed out. Students were told that deals were available on cheap flights after students expressed concern that their parents might not be able to afford to send them. The teachers then asked the students to yell out “We’re Going To Disney” over and over.
Then with the students screaming with joy, the teachers told them that instead of Disney they would be going to a local bowling alley instead.
Warren Kennedy, director of education of the Greater Essex County District School Board said later that “It was a huge error in judgment. . . I don’t think anyone is happy about this.” Well, that is one way to put it. Another way is to say it is that these teachers took highly impressionable kids and traumatized them with something that was not even remotely funny. I do not even understand why the joke was considered sufficiently funny to justify all of the work. I could understand a quick teasing about “rather than going to Disney this year, we are going to the bowling alley” but to work up the kids with brochures and chants is unbelievable.
I would probably not fire teachers over this, but I do believe written reprimands at a minimum are justified. What do you think?
Source: Canada
I agree with Mike. This is pure sadism. So to call it a “prank” trivializes it. I also agree that we’re missing “something” in the report. What was the purported purpose behind the elaborate actions of these teachers? The desensitized hilarity of hurting children? One thing these teachers have taught these children well is that trusted people lie and con you and that betrayal is acceptable.These teachers need some serious counseling because their attitudes need a lobotomy. The children could use a couple of sessions to help them work through this as well. This is not a minor issue to be quickly dismissed.
It twas more than a lie.It was a hateful lie. That is abominable to God. The mouth speaking those lies are perverted defiling souls making them bitter. Repentance is nessissary for the ones that saddened the heats of Gods little ones. Joy givers will get joy. Woe unto those that played that malicious predetermined cruel trick
Maybe the 8th grade teachers at this school, are chosen from the 7th grade students.
So fkn cruel.
WTF were they thinking, total idiots. Dashing young people’s joy like that.
I would sue under contract law, or otherwise make the perps pay for the kids’ disney vacation.
How can people be that heartless? The devil in a person would do that lifting the hopes of children who Hope all things believing all things like Jesus dropping them like a rock. They should follow through with what they promised to the children Jesus laid his life down to save.
How can people be that heartless? The devil in a person would do that lifting the hopes of children who Hope all things believing all things like Jesus dropping them like a rock. They should follow through with what hey promised to the children Jesus laid his life down to save.
A joke gone bad. You would think that two adults could have thought this through and realized, ahead of time, that the prank was a bad idea.
None dare call it sadism which it is. Yet as others have said sadistic comedy seems to seems to be in fashion these days. Even as a kid when people told me slapstick was the highest comic art, it just seemed wrong to me. I remember watching the Jackie Gleason variety show where he had a mime character called “Fenwick Babbit – The Poor Soul”. Each skit would show this pathetic fat person as the butt of slapstick jokes in various situations. They would end with a profound look of sadness on the Poor Soul’s face and even at my age made me cringe with compassion. I loathe mimes and clowns equally.
Those teachers who took part in this showed extremely bad judgment and their competence should rightly be questioned.
I’d guess that was teacher payback for all the grief those students had caused them over the years. Not justifying it and it’s still an unbelievably stupid thing to do.
It is because we don’t fire teachers for this sort of thing that education of our young has fallen into such disrepair. And unfortunately, so many of the previous posters are right, this sort of make fun of people as fun is all too common. I do not like “comedy” that belittles people.
Frankly, I am astounded by what they put not just on the internet but the TV shows like America’s funniest homo videos. The few times I have had it on all I see is people hurting themselves either accidentally or so they can get on tv and people (allegedly) laughing hysterically. Now the “news” shows put on the same kind of videos saying beofre or after how funny it is/laoghing heartedly themselves.
If I was a parent I might be considering a lawsuit for infliction of emotional pain. Am I going to trust another teacher after this? Am I going to be more willing to misbehave, following the example set by these “teachers”?
Nasty stunt…
Make the school pay for the student’s excellent vacation in Orlando.
Somebody know how this is different from religious instruction?
More context would be nice, but hey lets not have that get in the way of a good gag on the teachers.
have them all called up for review and make every effort possible to have them belive they will be fired, or perhaps even stage mock firings. punishment to fir the crime 😉
Meh. This is what passes for humor at the dawn of the new millennium. Cruelty and discomfort make up 90% of what people are laughing at on the Internet & you only have to skim Comedy Centrals stand up shows to see that this was expected to be a joke.
The teachers got it backwards. You hype them for a trip to the bowling alley then pull the switcheroo by taking them to Disney.
Well I’m with Amy, unless, like Joseph said that there is more to this story….
There is:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/02/21/teacher-disney-world-prank-windsor_n_2735487.html
This is so cruel it make me think that there are more details to this story. The absurdity, as you allude to, of putting so much effort into emotionally pranking 13 year olds is staggering. As a Principal of a school, I am interested in hearing from the Principal for some context. Please let their be some context. Otherwise, the district needs to make Involuntary Transfers a district priority this spring to break up such a mob.
If a private, for-profit school did this to their students, I suspect that you would demand the most severe disciplinary action–termination.
Who signed off or approved this nonsense? Perhaps they should start raising money to send them to Disney. Perhaps some benevolent millionaire will cut a check.
If you are this lacking in wisdom — and empathy — you should not be leading classes at the school; you should be pushing a mop around it.
Fire them. Anyone who feels this is “funny” has no business teaching children. What a bunch of idiots.