OAKHURST, Calif. — A second-grade teacher was placed on paid leave after she went to police with concerns about a student in her class. Elaine Brown spoke with the children in her class individually, and discovered that the student had threatened to harm several of his classmates with a gun.
Brown, who works at Oakhurst Elementary School, saw the child hit another student, causing bruising on his face. After the incident, Brown encouraged her students to come to her if they were bullied, ABC News reports.
Several students in Brown’s class told her that their classmate had spit on them, hit them and told them that he was going to bring a gun to school. Brown approached parents, the school district and the principal with her concerns – but after two days of inaction, she went to the police. The next day, she received a letter of reprimand.
In an open school board meeting, parents spoke out about the incident, largely in favor of Brown. The school held an anti-bullying assembly in response to parental concerns. The school superintendent said that it is unlikely that Brown will be fired for not following school policy.