A twisted high school teacher cut herself with a razor in a bizarre hoax that forced everyone into an emergency lockdown over fears she’d been stabbed by a student, according to authorities.
Nicole Truelove, a 53-year-old social studies teacher at Splendora High School outside of Houston, allegedly stabbed herself with the blade and then pressed a panic button on Thursday morning, officials told KHOU.
The whole school was put in an emergency lockdown — with parents rushing there in tears — over false fears “a student stabbed a teacher in the chest,” the school said.
However, a review of surveillance footage and interviews with students proved that students were not involved, both the school and the local sheriff’s office said later.
“The injury sustained to the teacher was self-inflicted,” Assistant Chief Rick Bass with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office told KHOU.
“Evidence supports that this was a hoax.”
Truelove’s motive was not immediately clear and officials did not say how serious her injuries were.
The teacher, who only joined the school a year ago, was arrested and charged with felony tampering with evidence and filing a false report.
Although no students were hurt in the confusion, the lockdown and fears of a prowling knifeman sparked panic and tears.
“I called my mom, and she started crying, like, it was just unacceptable,” student Kelly Garcia, an 18-year-old senior, told KHOU.
“Just to see all the kids running the opposite way and the teachers yelling at all of us to get into a room,” Garcia said.
Mother Casey Shaw said her daughter was hauled into a classroom that wasn’t hers and told to stand in the corner with the lights off.
“She said that she had seen the teacher start to stack the chairs in front of the door to make sure that no one could enter the room,” Shaw said.
Dustin Bromley, Superintendent of the Splendora Independent School District, called the alarming incident “very unfortunate.”
“After reviewing video footage and conducting interviews with students and staff, law enforcement determined that no students were involved and that the staff member’s injuries were self-inflicted,” he confirmed in a statement posted to the district’s website.
“Reports circulating online that a student stabbed a teacher in the chest are false. The … staff member has been arrested and removed from the campus.”
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