An Orange elementary school teacher has been suspended for having her third-grade students write "get well" letters to an inmate convicted of killing a cop, school officials announced today.

In a statement provided by Orange Superintendent Ronald Lee, district officials sharply criticized the assignment given by teacher Marylin Zuniga to write letters to former death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.

School officials said they "vehemently deny" having prior knowledge of the assignment, and said Zuniga neither sought prior approval nor notified parents about this "unauthorized activity."

"The Orange Public Schools was surprised to learn through recent news reports that one of its teachers, Ms. Marilyn Zuniga, a third grade teacher at Forest Street Elementary School, involved her students in a 'get well' letter writing assignment to convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal," the statement reads.