Loudoun County defended itself after running a simulation depicting parents as terrorists amid wider tensions between parents and the school district.

In a closed-door training session hours after a student was allegedly killed in an accident involving a staff member, the Loudoun County school board hired around 30 actors to simulate “terrorist activity” at a school board meeting triggered by parents, according to WJLA reporter Nick Minock. Citing sources in the room, Minock said the Jan. 13 training involved one of the “parents” bringing a gun into the room, causing the rest to begin “screaming, running, and yelling.” The staff members were instructed on how to respond.