Just over 30 schools in the state of Michigan closed two days early for holiday vacation because of the Mayan prediction that the world will end on Friday, according to an official courtesy of NBC News.
The superintendent for Lapeer Community Schools, Matt Wandrie, said that the doomsday ‘rumors’ have been running rampant in multiple districts. Wandrie said that these rumors have increased fears following the school shooting at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut.
“Given the recent events in Connecticut, there have been numerous rumors circulating in our district, and in neighboring districts, about potential threats of violence against students,” Wandrie wrote on his website.
“Additionally, rumors connected to the Mayan calendar predicted end of the world on Friday have also surfaced,” he added.
Wandrie also quoted some posts on Twitter that were causing a stir that said, “Friday would be a great day to go out w/ a bang.”
He said that the predictions of the end of the world were a ‘secondary concern.’ He said that rumors of violence threats against children was a much bigger concern. Wandrie noted that the threats were “investigated and determined to be false.” He said that they were a “serious distraction” for students and that parents were saying they would not send their children to school.
“Although we in the county are reluctant to cancel school because the rumors are unsubstantiated, we feel it is the most appropriate decision given the gravity of recent events and our present circumstances,” he wrote.