HOW'D THIS HAPPEN??? "BEEF MONTH" (CONTINUED)

11 Students Plotted To Kill Third-Grade Teacher

Student Had Job To Clean Blood, Says Teacher's Relative

POSTED: 10:40 pm EDT March 31, 2008
UPDATED: 7:53 am EDT April 1, 2008

WAYCROSS, Ga. -- Eleven students got together and plotted to kill their teacher, even going so far as to bring handcuffs and a knife to school, Waycross police said.

One of the teacher's relatives said each child at Center Elementary School in Waycross had a job to do, including one assigned to wipe up the blood.

The plot unraveled over the weekend when a student tipped off police, Local 6 reported.
School officials said they never imagined that some of the 8- and 9-year-olds boys and girls at the school would think of bringing physical harm to a teacher, WJXT reported.

"A plan had been developed amongst several of our third-grade students to allegedly do harm to their teacher," said Theresa Martin, of Ware County Schools. "It's shocking that they would think of this at their young age. I think that is probably the most shocking part for all of us," Martin said.

In addition to the knife being found, the school officials said other students had duct tape, handcuffs, ribbon and a heavy crystal paperweight.

The police chief in Waycross said that he believes the plan may have been developed because one of the students was punished with some sort of time out. However, that theory remains under investigation.

"I can't believe that -- because he's a third-grader. You know, I cannot believe that. Especially, for here," said parent Doris Rowland.

The children could face expulsion and criminal charges pending the investigation.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.