A Broward County high school pulled an assignment that asked students whether the suspected Parkland shooter deserves to die.
The assignment, “Does Nikolas Cruz Deserve to Die?,” was given to freshmen at Coral Glades High School, ABC News reported Sunday. The school is about five miles away from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School where Cruz allegedly killed 17 students on Feb. 14.
The worksheets include questions involving the shooting and the death penalty. It was offered as part of a subscription service from Scholastic Corporation, according to ABC. (RELATED: Accused Parkland Shooter Facing New Charges After Allegedly Brawling With Deputy Inside Jail)
One multiple choice question referenced March for Our Lives co-founder Cameron Kasky, who The New York Times’ quoted in an October Upfront magazine article about death penalty, ABC reported.
“In the article, Cameron Kasky says, ‘Let him rot forever.’ His tone can best be described as ___,” the question reads.
Answers include “angry,” “fearful,” “gloomy” and “truthful.”
This worksheet was given to students in @BrowardSchools. I cannot begin to express how pathetic I find this. Our school
board should add this to the list of 1000+ reasons to be ashamed. pic.twitter.com/tEl3BzTLg0— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) December 7, 2018
Upfront is a current events magazine that provides high school students “balanced, age-appropriate information that can be used as teaching resources in the classroom,” Scholastic Inc. Vice President of corporate communications Anne Sparkman told The Daily Caller News Foundation over email.
“The article and the quiz were intended only to provide a platform for meaningful conversations around the history, civics and social impact of the death penalty,” Sparkman said. “We deeply regret if the use of this real life example added in any way to the ongoing suffering of the students, families and educators of the Parkland community.”
The school administration was unaware of the assignment, according to a message on the school’s website.
“The school’s leadership has pulled the assignment, is instituting an approved review process of all such materials and regrets that this incident occurred,” the message reads. “Broward County Public Schools is working with the publisher to make them aware of our concerns.”
Cruz could face the death penalty if convicted.
Broward County Public Schools did not immediately respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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