Milwaukee Teacher Under Fire for Using Ouija Board in Class

Ouija boards are thought by some to be able to communicate with spirits.

A Clement J. Zablocki Elementary School kindergarten teacher in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is under fire for using a Ouija board in the classroom. At least one local mother, who wishes to remain anonymous, is outraged by the event.

"They were shutting off the lights and making it dark and talking to spirits," said the mother. "That's not something that should be at school."

According to certain beliefs, Ouija boards can be used to communicate with spirits—including demonic entities and the souls of the deceased—but the teacher responsible for the controversy claims that their use of the board was entirely innocent.

"The kids have been asking for a scary story and I got the board and moved the paper clip to answer some of their questions. They asked about scary characters in movies. I did not say there were spirits. It was all done in fun. I understand your concern. It was silly and I'm sorry. I will take the board home and this won't happen again," the teacher wrote in an email to the angry parent.

That explanation didn't satisfy the child's mother, who says her child now suffers from nightmares due to his experience.

"He's scared now to go to bed at night, to be in the dark, anything alone," she said.

The mother has asked that the teacher be fired in response to the event. For now, the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) has placed the teacher on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

"I'm happy that she's being investigated. Maybe she'll think twice about doing something in the future," said the mother.

Response from the online community has been largely critical of the mother, but she stands by her efforts.

"I feel like what I did for my child was the right thing, but everyone is entitled to their opinion," she said.

The teacher was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation of the incident.