ORLANDO, Fla. (WSVN) – A lesson plan that included having students write their own obituaries has cost a psychology teacher his job at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.
Jeffrey Keene said there was going to be an active shooter drill at the school and thought he could tie it into a lesson about safety and reflection on what’s important.
Keene asked the students, “If they died 24 hours from now, what would they do differently than they did yesterday?”
During his first-period class, a student got upset and asked to speak to a counselor. Shortly after, a supervisor came to observe his lecture during the second period.
“I put a disclaimer on the bottom of the lesson saying this is in no way to upset you,” Keen said.
He tried to example himself to the supervisor but was shut down. Keene said his intention was never to stress his students out.
“When they said you have the option to resign without violating your contract, I said, ‘I didn’t do anything wrong.’ I said, ‘If I did, tell me what it is.’ They said, ‘We can’t do that.’ I said, ‘In that case, since I don’t know what I did wrong, you can go ahead and terminate me without cause,” said Keene.
The district said they aren’t able to talk about the case. Keene said he will appeal his termination.
“I was stunned. I was talking to students about the world they live in. Gun safety, active shooters,” Keene said.
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