Students Say Teacher Made Them Take Lie Detector Test
Teacher in Trouble For Alledgedly Administering Lie Detector Test
March 14, 2013— -- A third grade teacher in Lynchburg, Va. is in hot water with parents after students say she made them take a lie detector test to find out who took candy from the candy jar.
The incident happened on Valentine's Day, a holiday on which people often share candy. But, when some of the classroom's candy disappeared and students wouldn't fess up, the teacher downloaded a lie detector app to her smartphone.
"It was an app where you put your thumb on the screen and a question appears, then the app tells you whether you're telling the truth or not," said Kelly Brown-Hampton, the President of the PTO Board at Dearington Elementary School.
Brown-Hampton said she was in total disbelief over the incident, calling the teacher's actions unacceptable.
"The phone test isn't something used in the court of law, but it's just the fact that the children were subjected. A lot of them were scared to tell their parents, fearing they would get in trouble," said Brown-Hampton, who has two grandchildren at the school.
Brown-Hampton told ABC News that the students said the lie detector test was done on everyone in the class, and one student didn't pass. She said this is not the correct way to teach third graders a lesson.
The Lynchburg School District did not immediately return ABC News' calls, but told ABC affiliate WSET that the incident is a "personnel issue" and that there will be no further comment.
This has angered a number of parents, who say the teacher should be fired.
Dearington parent Nakida Henry told WSET that the test is "something that belongs at a jail. My kids are not in jail. They are at a school. They're here to be educated, not to be considered criminals where they have to take a lie detector test about candy."
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