Indiana teachers' association says active shooter drill caused injuries
Indiana teachers who took part in an active shooter drill were told to crouch down and then shot execution-style with projectiles, causing injuries, the Indiana State Teachers' Association said Wednesday. Gail Zeheralis, the Indiana State Teachers Association's Director of Government Relations, told a state Senate committee that the teachers were screaming and some were bleeding from welts, CBS Indianapolis affiliate WTTV reported.
"The teachers were terrified, but were told not to tell anyone what happened," the teachers' association wrote on Twitter. "No one in education takes these drills lightly. The risk of harming someone far outweighs whatever added realism one is trying to convey here."
One teacher told The Indianapolis Star they were told "this is what happens if you just cower and do nothing."
The sheriff of White County, which held the drill, said they have stopped using airsoft guns in the training, the Star reported. The plastic pellets they used are 4.6 mm in diameter, but Sheriff Bill Brooks emphasized the "key word is soft" in describing the projectile.
Zeheralis said the incident occurred in early January, but it came to light Wednesday as the state government considered a bill that would expand the state's grant program that gives funds to schools to improve security measures.
The measure has already passed the Indiana House but the teachers' association is requesting an amendment to allow for "more reasonable limits" on the drills as the legislation goes through the Senate.