Teachers are not packing guns while working in Coeur d'Alene's public schools, but a "news" article published online in August would have readers think otherwise.

The story, posted on National Report - a website that touts "America's No. 1 Independent News Team" - details a fictitious Coeur d'Alene school board decision granting teachers permission to carry concealed firearms on school grounds. The story indicates the school board also called for mandatory firearms training for educators.

Laura Rumpler, communications director for Coeur d'Alene public schools, was alerted to the fake story by a real national news outfit. An ABC News production assistant called the district's central office on Oct. 11. He told Rumpler he was with Diane Sawyer and 20/20, and said they were developing a story about children and gun safety.

"I was excited by the idea of sharing our School Resource Officer program success model with a national news program, but instead found myself spending time tracking down the false reporting about our district on the web," Rumpler told The Press.

Through the district's SRO program, real, sworn, armed police officers are stationed in Coeur d'Alene's public high schools and middle schools. Provided through a partnership with the city's police department, the SROs have been in Coeur d'Alene schools since 1995.

The fake story, published on the National Report website with the headline "Armed Teachers Return to Classrooms in September," includes photos of people practicing shooting in a gun range. The caption under one of the photos states: "Teachers and administrators of District 271 return to school armed next month." Another photo of a woman smiling and looking directly at the camera, while wearing ear protection and holding a pistol, bears the caption: "Teacher Linda Robbins welcomes the new gun policy." She's not real, nor is Jerry Karns, a school teacher attributed with saying, "I don't think anyone wanted to see this become district policy, but after months of review it seemed the only one realistic option open to us."

In the Lake Pend Oreille School District, to the north in Bonner County, a real proposal to arm public school teachers is currently sparking emotional public debate. But there is no indication that Coeur d'Alene school trustees have ever seriously considered arming teachers, neither in recent months nor in the wake of the December mass fatal shooting of 20 school children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut.

The story published by National Report bears the byline of Nigel J. Covington III, who is also alleged to be the publication's editor-in-chief.

When asked by The Press why he chose to write the fake story about Coeur d'Alene's schools, Covington responded by email: "The subject was already in the news and that prompted my writing the story. I'm pleased that you picked up on the fact that it was satire before you published your story. I've learned to value media folks who do their homework otherwise they wind up eating a lot of garbage to wit: FOX News recently."

Rumpler said she is saddened by the story's false assertions, even if they were intended to be humorous in a "pseudo-journalistic light."

"Student safety is not a laughing matter in the Coeur d'Alene School District," Rumpler said. "Our district works tirelessly to keep safety on the forefront of everyone's mind and we are so fortunate to have strong, daily ties with local law enforcement."

The entire fake story can be read here: http://nationalreport.net/armed-teachers-return-to-classrooms-in-september/