Teacher’s 40 Minute Ringing Noise Discipline Method Questioned

What is the most annoying sound you can think of? Is it fingernails on a chalkboard? Maybe it's the sound of someone smacking their lips? Or perhaps your ears remind your brain every summer just how much you hate the sound of a styrofoam ice chest squeaking all the way to Florida? Goodness knows there are a lot of annoying sounds.

Why yes, that is Fran Drescher of TV's The Nanny. Even without the volume turned up you could hear that annoying laugh couldn't you?

Sound, the kind of sound, the frequency of the sound, and the volume of that sound can really wreak havoc with the human psyche. That's why some students and parents of one school system are questioning the use of sound as a form of discipline.

The incident was reported at Edge Middle School in the Community ISD in North Texas. Students say that one teacher at the school was using a "ringing noise" as a form of discipline.

A student at the school told a Dallas television station that the noise was so irritating that students were covering their ears. One student reportedly got up and walked out of the classroom to avoid the noise while another attempted to cut the irritating sound off at its source.

The Community ISD and local police were looking into the incident and did confirm that it actually occurred. Local law enforcement investigators were reportedly interviewing students about what happened. It was determined the sound came from an online source.

A parent of one of the students told another Dallas television station that the noise in question was played for more than 40 minutes. That same parent said that many students in the classroom were begging the teacher to "please make it stop".

A spokesperson for the Community ISD said that "student health, safety, and security remain the highest priority for the district". That is why local law enforcement investigators are looking further into the matter to see if any laws were broken. The Community ISD says their investigation will determine if any policies or protocols were broken.