— Some Wake County parents have hired an attorney to demand that the Wake County Public School System halt a program in which students are asked to share their feelings, emotions and thoughts with other students.

The program is called "circles," but some parents fear that it is an invasion of privacy and could prompt students to share too much information.

"They place before students, in a very personal space, questions that are extremely sensitive," attorney Tyler Brooks, who represents about 20 parents, said Friday.

The parents don't want to speak out because they fear retaliation from the school system, he said.

Brooks said his clients fear the practice could be harmful to their children's mental health. Students may have a false sense that they're in a safe space, and they could later regret disclosing sensitive information, he said.

He likened the circles to "group therapy" and claimed students feel pressured to participate.

"I would think it’s unfair to teachers, rank-and-file teachers, to put them in that situation of having to play a psychologist," he said.

Monica Glover, a counselor at Ballentine Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina, said circles are valuable tools that foster connection. They are not group therapy and not required, she said.

"The goal that we hope of the circle is to build a sense of community and belonging," Glover said. "Students feel that their voices were heard in a safe environment, in a safe place. [It's] non-judgmental, no judgment."

She said she often uses circles, and she said she's noticed students feel more confident and valued afterward.

"The problem is I can’t do enough of them," she said. "They love it."

A school district spokeswoman said she doesn't know how many schools use the circles program, but she said any teacher who wants to lead a circle must first go through two days of training.

Madeleine Ramsey, a fourth-grade teacher at Lincoln Heights Magnet Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina, used a circle on Monday to help students connect what inspires them with writing poetry.

"Fundamentally, it's teaching kids how to listen and how to speak," Ramsey said. "They're never required to sit in the circle or talk in the circle."

Lincoln Heights Elementary Principal Kim Grant disputes Brooks' claim that students are disclosing sensitive information.

"We do not go deep. We do not ask intrusive questions. It's just a real community building opportunity for all of our kids," Grant said.

Grant added that the school's suspension rate has dropped since circles began, as has absenteeism.

"Instead of punitive office referrals, we have 12 times that in positive office referrals," she said.

Fourth-grader Madison Hernandez said she enjoys taking part in circles.

"It helps me learn about other people because it tells you more about them and if they had hard times and stuff, so you can help them out," Madison said.

Fuquay-Varina High School seniors Justin Kunkle and Andrew Barnes said they never participated in circles, but they think it sounds like a good idea.

"Personally, I believe that it would work, but some people have trouble letting their feelings out and stuff," Kunkle said. "I feel like, if they had that opportunity, it would work, maybe not at a high school level, because more people are closed off in that situation, but younger kids, it would help, and then they wouldn’t have that problem later on."

"I think it would work a lot better in an elementary school setting because those kids are open, and they need someone to talk to," Barnes said. "But in high school, it’s more like people want to figure it out for themselves."