Two students at a New Jersey elementary school stayed home from school due to fears they may spread Ebola to their peers.

The Ebola virus has emerged in west Africa, not east Africa, but that didn’t stop Howard Yocum Elementary School from informing teachers that two students from east Africa had enrolled at the school.

The two students were scheduled to enroll, but were blocked after parents got wind of the news.

A nurse sent a letter informing teachers of the student’s arrival and that their temperatures would be monitored out of an abundance of caution. The two students were scheduled to begin school on October 20 but were unable to start due to the reaction of parents.

“Tell us when we come into the door. Don’t smile in my face and have a secret like that,” parent Kristina Dickerson told Fox 29.

Parents were informed that the new students are not from an Ebola affected area and haven’t shown any symptoms of the disease, but that did little to calm the backlash. Parents of the students eventually decided to keep their kids home from schools for 21 days, until the chance of developing Ebola symptoms had passed.

“The Maple Shade School District takes the health of all students and staff very seriously. As many of you are aware, we have students who have spent time in the eastern portion of Africa that were scheduled to start in our schools on Monday. This area of Africa has been unaffected by the Ebola virus. Despite the fact that the students are symptom-free and not from an affected area, the parents have elected to keep their children home past the 21 day waiting period. The family is looking forward to joining the Maple Shade Schools the following week,” read a statement on the school’s website.

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