Teacher sues school, claims PTSD, after active shooter drill

An Oregon teacher is suing, claiming that a surprise "active shooter" drill gave her PTSD.

Linda McLean states that since the "simulated murder" drill two years ago, she hasn't been the same and is seeking compensation for loss of pay, medical costs and punitive damage for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The suit is against the school district, the principal and several others who took part in the drill.

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The 56-year-old third and fourth grader teacher explains that on the day of the drill, children were at home.

A man in googles ran into her classroom, pointed a gun her, pulled the trigger, smoke filled the air and the man yelled, "you're dead!"

"Ms. McLean was disoriented and her heart started racing...[she] could not move, as she sat terrified in her chair," the suit reads.

The man, who was actually safety officer Shawn Thatcher, was holding a gun filled with blanks and went from room to room surprising teachers.

"Thatcher left the room. He and [defendant School Board Chairman] John Minarich, who was also dressed in camouflage, and brandishing a weapon, continued going into and out of rooms, pointing their weapons at other teachers, pulling the trigger of the gun, and stating that the teachers were dead," the suit claims.

The drill was scheduled at Pine Eagle School District No. 61 in Halfway just a few months after the Sandy Hook massacre.

One teacher wet herself, another was injured in a scuffle and others fell trying to hide or escape from the "attacker."

McLean claims that "panic ensued" and that the Monday after the drill, when she tried to return to school she felt "extremely emotionally and physically ill."

The lawsuit states that being "assaulted and terrorized by a man armed with a gun lies well outside the scope" of her employment.

The Oregon reports that the drill concluded that "not many" of the elementary school teachers would survive in the case of a real attack.