Hillsborough school teachers asked to be more 'sensitive' after one brings a ouija board to class

BRANDON, Fla. - Teachers at Burns Middle School take reading and writing seriously, and so according to the Hillsborough County School System, it seemed fitting for a professional writer to visit and talk to students.

"We brought in an author and talked to lots of different kids about, 'This is somebody who wrote this book. Isn't that great?'" explained spokesman Steve Hegarty. "It just so happens that the title of the book that she wrote had something to with a ouija board."

"The Ouija Board Diaries: Summoning the Spirit" is a fiction book about a girl who lives in a haunted town, written by 20-year-veteran Hillsborough County teacher, Theresa Clinton.

Another teacher invited Clinton to speak to more than a hundred middle school students in six different classes on September 19.

No one asked the principal's permission, but the school system says Clinton talked about summoning creativity -- not spirits -- even if she brought a ouija board as a prop which nobody actually used.

"I talked to the principal just a little while ago and she said, 'No', she's not getting questions from parents," Hegarty said.

According to Hegarty, only one parent complained, mostly because his son returned home with an order form to buy the book.

"That's the only warning that we gave. I think the lesson was entirely appropriate," Hegarty said. "It's great for kids to meet an author and see how they got interested in reading and writing and all that. The kids had some great questions. I think it was a rewarding experience."