Jim Gard, a math teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has been hailed as a hero for protecting students in his classroom during the shooting by Nikolas Cruz. However, at least two students are accusing him of using the shooting to make himself well-known, and describe what they say really happened.

Students Joshua Gallagher and Connor Dietrich have expressed contempt at Gard on Twitter. Josh said Gard “called himself a hero, and… the media portrayed him as a hero when in reality he is the opposite.”

Gallagher said he was in Gard’s class when the fire alarm went off, which prompted them to leave the classroom. When they heard gunshots, however, about 15 of them froze before running back to the classroom. Gard, however, had locked the door and refused to let them in.

“Which then left me and fifteen other students left in the hallways ducking as the screams of classmates and gunshots took over the noise around me,” Joshua said. “We were stuck in the hall for four total minutes, ducking and in fear for our lives.” Eventually, a teacher from another class opened their door and let the students in.

Gallagher called Gard an “opportunist” for giving interviews about the shooting, including one while the shooting was happening. Gard gave an interview over the phone with CBS Miami station WFOR-TV around the time authorities said a suspect was in custody.

Gard expressed shock at the accusations, telling the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, he followed protocol that requires him to keep the door locked during an active shooter drill or real emergency. He said six students followed him back into the room. “I looked back down the hall and no one was around — no one,” he said. “You have to close the door. That’s protocol. We have no choice.” He said he and the six students were hiding in the dark when they heard banging on the door. Gard said he is prohibited from opening the door but did walk over to it. The banging, however, had stopped by the time he reached the door.

“He is nothing but a coward,” Joshua said. “He has revictimized the students he locked out of his class by calling himself a hero. I have nightmares at (sic) could have happened because of how selfish and horrific this man is.” Joshua told the Sun Sentinel that he didn’t want to be interviewed. “I want change to happen when it comes to protocol and the way this situation is handled,” he said in a statement to the paper over Twitter. “No child can feel the way I did.”

Eastvale resident Sharon Hsu shares her thoughts on the matter. “Some people are just like that,” she says, “they don’t care about if the situation is good or bad, they just want attention.”