Shanthi Viswanathan is known to her algebra students as Mrs. V, a sign perhaps of her popularity.
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High teacher has never been more popular after being hailed as a hero by her students who all survived the Florida school shooting.
The Miami Herald reports the quick thinking teacher ordered her students to crouch low on the classroom floor and gather in the corner of the classroom as shots began to ring out.
She also locked the door and put a piece of paper over the door’s window so the gunman wouldn’t be able to see in.
When Swat arrived, knocked on the door and asked her to open up, she refused out of fear the gunman was trying to trick her into letting him in.
“She was quick on her feet. She used her knowledge. She saved a lot of kids,” Dawn Jarboe, a parent of one of Viswanathan’s students told the
Sun Sentinel.
Her son said a Swat member knocked out the window and cleared out the room.
Viswanathan and her students were lead to safety.
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. Check out our Facebook page and our Twitter feed, Please consider interning, joining our staff or submitting a story for consideration.
