Florida Teacher Fired For Asking Students To Write Obituaries

A Florida teacher was fired the same day he asked students to write their own obituaries ahead of an active shooter drill, according to NBC News.

A spokesperson for the Orange County School District confirmed Jeffery Keene, a psychology teacher at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, was fired on Friday, April 7 for an "inappropriate assignment about school violence."

Keene, who was just hired in January, told reporters that he was teaching 11th and 12th graders about school shootings during the first-period class on Tuesday (April 4). He instructed students to reflect on their lives during a school shooter scenario and maintained he used proper judgment when issuing the assignment.

"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 said.

By second period, the teacher learned school officials were interviewing students from his class. Keene was fired before the end of seventh period.

Since Keene wasn't part of a union, he can't fight the district's decision. He plans on finding another teaching job and wouldn't change anything about his lesson.

"If you can't talk real to them, then what's happening in this environment?" Keene said. "In my mind, I've done nothing wrong."