Pupils at Glenn Dale see porn clip in classroom glitch

Glenn Dale Elementary Principal Lia Thompson said the images were projected onto a screen viewed by 32 pupils for 10 seconds before teachers and administrators were able to eject the DVD and turn off the laptop.

The district’s Information Technology department is conducting an investigation into how the pornographic content got onto the laptop, Prince George’s County Public Schools spokesman John White said.

‘‘This was a school system issued laptop and it shouldn’t be used for those purposes,” White said.

At this time, it is believed that the pornographic images were not on the DVD but already on the laptop and that no pupils at the school were involved in downloading the pornography to the computer, White said.

Glenn Dale Elementary Vice Principal, also named John White, was patrolling the halls of the school at the time of the incident.

White said that when he heard loud laughter from pupils, he rushed to the classroom and attempted to block the image with a clipboard.

Thompson said the Information Technology department confiscated the laptop shortly after the images were shown and all materials relevant to the incident have been sent to Region II Director Helen Coley for further analysis.

Thompson said that because of the incident she will be going over the guidelines for the appropriate use of technology with her staff.

‘‘We want to make sure our staff isn’t negligent in following the administrative procedures in respect to technology,” Thompson said.

Debra Garner, a media relations officer for the Maryland State Teachers Association, said this is the first time in her nine years with the organization that she has heard of pornographic imagery being shown to pupils at a school in Maryland.

‘‘I haven’t heard of that happening since I’ve been here,” Garner said. ‘‘We have not had any complaints about anything like that. To say it’s a common occurrence, I wouldn’t say that.”

A letter was sent home to all parents of fifth-graders at the school on Monday alerting them to the incident.

‘‘We have been addressing parent concerns to ensure that they know this [school] is a safe place where children’s priorities come first,” Thompson said.

Region II includes 37 schools in central Prince George’s County. The 37 schools are located in Glenn Dale, Capitol Heights, Bladensburg, Greenbelt, Lanham, Seabrook, Glenarden and Landover.

E-mail Jonathan Stein at jstein@gazette.net.