Parents, remember the game you used to play as children when someone would whisper a phrase in another person’s ear and that person would pass it on to the next person,and so on and so on? By the time it got back to the person who originated it, the phrase was nothing like what it was at its inception.

A more technological version of that game is what led to the uproar at Union County High School Friday morning.

Rumors concerning a possible gang shooting had law enforcement personnel in force at the school, as hundreds of worried parents signed their children out of class.

Authorities heard rumors as early as Tuesday that there was going to be a “problem” with gangs somewhere. By Thursday, the story had escalated to the point where they were hearing that a shooting was going to take place at the school.

“As many fingers as you’ve got, that’s how many rumors or more we were hearing,” Union Public Safety Director Sam White said.

Then, authorities learned of text messages circulating among students about potential trouble at the school. The message changed throughout the day.

White and Sheriff David Taylor decided to send officers to the school on Friday morning as a precaution, but thankfully, there was no trouble.

Superintendent David Eubanks said the incident will probably result in a stricter cell phone use policy.

School officials should consider the policy used by Union Christian Day School — cell phones must be kept in students’ lockers or they are confiscated.

A school building should be a place for learning, not cell phone calls or sending text messages.