Burlington, Vermont police have issued an apology to a group of high school students who were distressed by a role-playing exercise involving a simulated shooting during a field trip.
The incident occurred during a visit by approximately 20 students from Burlington High School’s Year End Studies forensics class to the Burlington Police Department’s headquarters on Wednesday, as reported by Russ Elek, spokesperson for the Burlington School District.
According to information shared with parents and families of the students involved, the students unexpectedly heard screams and fake gunshots as part of a reenacted crime scene scenario behind where they were seated.
The purpose of the presentation, as explained by interim principal Sabrina Westdijk and two teachers present, was to illustrate the unreliability of witness statements. The police aimed to create a realistic experience to drive home this point.
In response to the students’ distress, the Burlington Police Department issued an apology, clarifying that the role-playing scenario was not targeted at any specific individuals and involved three department personnel simulating a robbery scenario. They also mentioned that the district had approached them in April to conduct the presentation, following a successful previous session in the fall of 2023.
Contrary to the school district’s claim of being unaware of the presentation’s nature, the police department stated that they had communicated the details of the scenario, including the use of fake firearms, to the school program’s staff in May. The department emphasized that the simulation aimed to be as authentic as possible, mirroring real-life situations frequently encountered by law enforcement.
The police department plans to meet with the students and staff to address the incident’s impact and hopes that it will serve as a learning opportunity for all involved parties.
