A Maryland parent who received an automated call from the local school district at 4:30 a.m. retaliated by arranging calls of his own to 19 top school officials at the same time. District officials quickly admitted th
ey had erred and promised such calls will not reoccur, the Washington Post reports.
The initial automated call, also known as a robocall, from the Prince George’s County School District was to announce a previously announced two-hour delay in opening schools due to snow. Aaron Titus, a lawyer from Fort Washington, Md., was incensed that he was woken from a sound sleep to hear an announcement that was made the night before. He found a robocall company online and arranged for calls to be made to top school officials and members of the school board, the Post said.
“This is a Prince George's County School District parent, calling to thank you for the robocall yesterday at 4:30 in the morning. I decided to return the favor. While I know the school district wanted to ensure I drop my child off two hours late on a snow day, I already knew that before I went to bed. I hope this call demonstrates why a 4:30 a.m. call does more to annoy than to inform.” According to the Post, the messaged concluded by saying, “Quit robocalling parents at 4:30 in the morning or at least allow us to opt out of these intrusive calls."
School spokesman Darrell Pressley said the wrong time was entered for the robocalls that usually begin going out to parents in the 127,000 student district at around 6 a.m. "It's the first time – and the last time," he told the Post.