Massachusetts Principal Under Fire for 'Terminator' Video
By: JOHN MULLER
Updated: January 15, 2013
The new principal at a high school in Everett, Mass., has come under fire for showing a video in which he stalks the school dressed as Arnold Schwarzenegger's character in "Terminator 2," which some parents and faculty say belittles school violence.
"It's definitely inappropriate, especially with the question of security in schools around the country," Everett superintendent Frederick Foresteire said.
Erik Naumann, who has been an educator for more than 10 years, recently became the principal at Everett High School. In a video he produced himself, Naumann imagined himself as the futuristic killing machine from the sci-fi blockbuster, stalking the hallways of the school.
In the video, which includes footage from the 1991 movie, he calls himself "The Naumannator."The clip, which also shows images of burning playgrounds and empty classrooms, was perceived as funny by many when it was played for his new students during morning announcements Jan. 7.
But critics don't see the humor, particularly in the wake of the Dec. 14 attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, which left 26 dead.
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A student soon posted the video to YouTube, and when parents saw it, some were shocked to see such ominous images. In the clip, when asked where the students are, Naumann says, "they've been Naumannated."
"If this was a child, they would be suspended or reprimanded," one parent told ABC News.
Despite the frightening images, opinions among students are still mixed, with some saying that it was just a joke, and others saying it "wasn't the right thing to show."
Attempts to reach Naumann by ABC News were unsuccessful.
