Since school shootings have become a common occurrence, educators have to work to prepare their students for the worst-case scenarios. Active shooter drills are one tool to do so. A high school teacher in Florida used his own unique way to prepare his 11th and 12th grade psychology students, which ultimately got him fired.
Jeffrey Keene was terminated from his position at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando because he assigned his students to write their own obituaries before the active shooter drill. Keene stands by this assignment and says he would do it again.
“It wasn’t to scare them or make them feel like they were going to die, but just to help them understand what’s important in their lives and how they want to move forward with their lives and how they want to pursue things in their journey,” Keene explained of his rationale behind the assignment. He believes he did the right thing.
Keene gave the assignment to his first period class. “This isn’t a way to upset you or anything like that,” he recalls telling them. His second period class informed him that they were being asked questions about the assignment by school officials. By his seventh period class, he was fired.
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“If you can’t talk real to them, then what’s happening in this environment? In my mind, I’ve done nothing wrong,” Keene stated.
Officials from the Orange County School District were leery of talking about the situation in great detail. They did issue a statement: “Dr. Phillips High School families were informed that a teacher gave an inappropriate assignment about school violence. Administration immediately investigated and the probationary employee has been terminated.”
Keene is 63 years old. He was a new hire at the school and is not a member of the union. Because of this, he has no grounds to appeal the district’s decision to fire him.
Keene is actively looking for another teaching position. He says he will not change his teaching style. He believes that talking straight to students is the best policy.
“I don’t think I did anything incorrectly,” Keene mused. “I know hindsight is 20/20 but I honestly didn’t think a 16-, 17-, 18-year-old would be offended or upset by talking about something we’re already talking about.”
