Greenwich Schools: Inappropriate Video Shown To Second-Graders

GREENWICH, CT — Greenwich Public Schools officials said they launched an investigation into a video that was shown to second-graders earlier this week.

In a letter to families Monday, Superintendent Toni Jones said the animated video was shown that morning to two classes of second-grader during remote learning. The video was part of a lesson on social and emotional learning, and depicted a character who discusses fear and being afraid, Jones said. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"Around the midway point in the video, there is reference to situations in which children may become afraid, including being afraid of abuse, both physical and sexual," Jones said in the letter. "The content at this point in the video was not appropriate for our [Greenwich Public Schools] second grade classrooms. The content is and was instead likely meant for a private therapy session for children who have experienced trauma."

According to the Greenwich Free Press, the video in question is called "Alfred Jr. & Shadow — A Short Story About Being Scared" and features two owls talking about fear.

The district's letter provided a link to the video; however, the link no longer connected to a working video early Thursday afternoon.

"Due to the nature of the video," Jones said, "we have alerted the Department of Children and Families (DCF), as we do whenever we believe students may have been exposed to material or situations that may warrant a follow-up."

District spokesperson Sasha Houlihan said Thursday that DCF chose not to open an investigation.

"The [DCF] were contacted and a district report was made concerning the video content shared with two classrooms on [Monday]," Houlihan said. "In this instance, DCF has let the district know that they did not accept this case for a DCF investigation, as it did not meet the statutory definition of abuse or neglect. The internal investigation continues to be ongoing."

Greenwich Board of Education President Peter Bernstein also noted the video was reported to the DCF per protocol, and that the district was also investigating.

"It would be premature to jump to conclusions or call for any action until that work is complete," Bernstein said.

Jones said the district's psychology staff was available to answer any questions parents or guardians may have about the video, including how to discuss it with their child.

"We apologize for any questions or concerns this may have raised with your child," Jones said. "Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any further questions."