By Tim Binnall
A Flat Earth enthusiast found himself in hot water with authorities in South Carolina after he visited an elementary school playground with the intention of teaching the children the 'true' shape of the planet. The bizarre incident, which was broadcast live on YouTube, reportedly occurred last Thursday afternoon when Nathan Thompson, a prominent advocate for the controversial conspiracy theory, walked up to a fence at the Hollis Academy in the city of Greenville and began shouting at the kids about the Flat Earth.
Specifically, Thompson told the tots that "space is fake" and went on to declare that "they're gonna teach you that you live on a spinning ball. That doesn't make it true. It's not real. The floor is not moving a thousand miles an hour." The Flat Earther also attempted to distribute some flyers detailing his research into the conspiracy theory, but his intended audience was quickly ushered away by a concerned teacher who told Thompson that they could not accept his pamphlets.
School officials subsequently reported the incident to police and Thompson was later arrested for public disorderly conduct. A spokesperson for the school told a local newspaper that "we're concerned anytime someone is reaching across the fence and we don't know what they're up to. It scares children. It frightens the teachers. It's not OK." For his part, the Flat Earther argued that his actions were well within the law. "I was walking my dog on a public sidewalk," Thompson said, "and used my First Amendment rights to tell those kids that large bodies of water do not curve."