Bomb 'joke'

Community college fires teacher for alleged bomb comment; other schools probe possible threats

A community college fired a teacher who allegedly joked in class about being a suicide bomber, and other schools investigated possible threats of violence after this week’s massacre on the Virginia Tech campus.

Students reported that their geography instructor at Ozarks Technical Community College walked into class Wednesday, set his briefcase on a table and said, "I’m a suicide bomber," according to school spokesman Joel Doepker.

Police and the school did not identify the part-time instructor, pending an investigation.

He told an Ozark police investigator that he felt bad afterward and only meant to lighten the mood while students were preparing for a test, according to a police statement.

"Even without the Virginia Tech situation, (the instructor’s comments) still would have been cause for termination," Doepker said.