NAPOLEON, MI - YMCA Storer Camps is ending an "Underground Railroad" educational program for elementary school children following a written complaint from the ACLU of Michigan.

The complaint stemmed from a Dearborn Heights parent who said her child was "emotionally devastated by her treatment" during the slavery re-enactment program, said Mark Fancher, ACLU of Michigan Racial Justice Project staff attorney.

"We take this very seriously," said Brad Toft, president/CEO of the YMCA of Greater Toledo, which operates YMCA Storer Camps. "Our intent is to create an environment kids can thrive in, and we would never do anything deliberately to hurt that. We don't want to offer anything that makes anyone feel uncomfortable."

The "Underground Railroad" program was for students in fifth grade and up, according to camp literature. Described as "a living history experience," students and teachers were asked to role-play as they participated as slaves in search of freedom in pre-Civil War America.

The program's intent, according to camp literature, was to "take visitors back in time to the reality of the error of slavery."

In a press release, the ACLU's Fancher said the program subjected "innocent children to a racially hostile environment wherein they are highly vulnerable to feeling degraded, humiliated and guilty."

"We all agree that our students should learn about slavery as a critical period of American history - but treating them like runaway slaves is neither an effective nor healthy way to do it," Fancher said.

The ACLU complaint letter cited research from experts characterizing slave re-enactments as "inappropriate" methods for teaching children about slavery. Concerns raised in the complaint included that such role-playing is harmful to children of all races.

In addition to requesting that YMCA Storer Camps terminate the "Underground Railroad" program, the complaint letter asked that experts be consulted before any future programs to educate children about slavery are developed.

"We are very pleased and gratified that YMCA Storer Camps would respond as quickly as they did and respond as they did," Fancher said. "We are grateful to them."

The "Underground Railroad" program was a long-standing camp program, Toft said. He was not aware of any past complaints about it, he said.