Students Upset, Accuse Teacher of Killing Baby Rabbits(with shovel)

www.abcnews.com ^ | March 19,2004

[LadyShallott]

P L A N T C I T Y, Fla., March 19— A high school school teacher was cited for animal cruelty after she allegedly used a shovel to kill two baby rabbits as her protesting students looked on.

Jane Bender, an agriculture teacher at Plant City High School, killed the two day-old rabbits after the sickly newborns were rejected by their mother, students said.

"She came over with a shovel and just sort of chopped in the hole, and then buried them," said student Ryan Harrell. He said he was so upset by his teacher's actions that he threw up and then broke down crying. "I was really shocked and appalled. I didn't have any words for it."

Students said they had offered to take care of the bunnies, but Bender said she did not want to bottle-feed the newborns. She ordered the students to bury them alive, and when the students refused, she killed them herself, they said.

Cruel to Be Kind?

The Hillsborough County sheriff's office investigated and turned the case over to the state attorney's office. Officials there determined that Bender might have displayed bad judgment, but no criminal charges were warranted. Bender was cited for two civil counts of animal cruelty.

"Her only comment was that she had made a bad decision," said Animal Services investigator Dennis McCullough. "I definitely felt that the teacher needed to be held accountable."

The veteran teacher is also facing questions from the school board, which plans to review the case.

"We haven't talked to the teacher yet," schools spokesman Mark Hart said, "but we believe that she was trying to explain to them that, sometimes in the course of farming, it is necessary to put animals down."

Bender declined to comment to reporters on the case. The teacher, who has 30 years of excellent reviews in her personnel file, could receive a letter of caution or a reprimand.

A few students were willing to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt.

"[It's] for the better of the animals. They're dying already, she went ahead and took care of it and put them out of their misery," said student Charlie Lusk.

Some parents were especially concerned that the rabbits were killed in front of students.

"Nothing like that should be done in front of the kids," said one parent. "I mean, it shouldn't have been done anyway."

[LadyShallott]

Ping

[billorites]

"I'm outa here!"

[alnitak]

Did someone say "baby rabbits"?

[Rebelbase]

Its absurd how life's lessons are slowly being PC'd out of existence among the younger generation.

The only other way this could have had more benefit for the kids was to have performed it as an experiment. Kill one baby rabbit quickly and let the other one starve in the presence of its mother. That would have put nature in perspective for the kids.

[microgood]

The students are running this town. There aren't any adults even in the DAs office.

[7thson]

I wonder if these idiot kids would freak out if they ever discovered what farmers do to critters that threaten their crop. Kids think rabbits are cuddly little critters and forget that they are nothing but hopping rats.

[THEUPMAN]

I raise rabbits, goats, chickens .....
the most humane thing a person can do is put an animal down if the need is there.

I have done it, and with a heavy heart every time.

That parent sounds like the sort of person who would let a domestic animal "go free"..... to die a slow and painful death in the wild.

[vetvetdoug]

Yea, send the rabbits home with the students and they become infected with Tularemia or some other zoonotic disease and the masses will be vilifying the teacher for bad judgement. Rabbits raised in captivity that are two weeks old or less have a miserable success rate of survival. This teacher did nature a favour. This was an agriculture teacher well aware of the law of nature and the outcome of weak young animals. She made good judgment with respect to a)her education b)experience C)logic and D)disease prevention with respect to population.

[dawn53]

IMO, the kids should have been allowed to try to hand raise the rabbits. You can buy formula and tiny bottles at any pet store for small animals.

We've taken in baby squirrels that were abandoned. It's a good "life lesson." Feedings every few hours, some live, some die, it teaches kids responsibility.

Of course, I'm coming from the angle of a dog owner whose dog was rejected by the "mommy" dog (don't think I can use the real world on FR, LOL). We bottle fed her from the time she was 2 days old.

[joesnuffy]

The reason rabbits have so many litters is that many rabbits die...they are the ulitmate prey for many species...their strength is in their numbers....

It was a hard but necessary lesson for kids to learn...but kids (thanks to Disney) tend to identify with baby critters when not raised on farms or by parents with common sense..

The teacher was giving the kids a valuable lesson...but didnt take the time to measure the potential fallout...as the kids parents have been throughly brain washed by the Disney world view as well....

Hope they keep the teach...just figure out a better way to teach the realities of animal husbandry...maybe they can take the kids trapping or varmint hunting....so they grow up able to keep the predator and varmint populations in check....someone has to...

[RunningJoke]

Children in schools are being taught that the status of man's nature is equal to nature. If these so-called elitist conservationists had to live a subsistence life at the mercy of nature their idiotic views, I think would be a tad different.

"The scientific and industrial revolution of modern times represents the next giant step in the mastery over nature; and here, too, an enormous increase in man's power over nature is followed by an apocalyptic drive to subjugate man and reduce human nature to the status of nature."

"All bodies, the firmament, the stars, the earth are not equal in value to the lowest human being. From all bodies together not the slightest thought and not a single impulse of charity can be obtained." --Pascal

[kittymyrib]

While high schoolers can throw up at the death of rabbits, they will vote to defend abortion of human babies. The brain-washing of the leftists and environazis is complete.

[DainBramage]

AAAAGGHHHH!!!!

[nmh]

"IMO, the kids should have been allowed to try to hand raise the rabbits. You can buy formula and tiny bottles at any pet store for small animals. "

"We've taken in baby squirrels that were abandoned. It's a good "life lesson." Feedings every few hours, some live, some die, it teaches kids responsibility."

Same here. As kids we LOVED to do this and had success with it. It taught us resect for LIFE and learned how to be RESPONSIBLE.

From what is said here, there was NOTHING wrong with the baby rabbits other than this teacher wanted them dead. The kids also offered to try and raise them - what a wonderful experience this could have been. Instead the teacher angered and chose to beat the baby rabbits to death with a shovel. The IS CRUEL. What a MONSTER for a teacher. She should be terminated.

[skinkinthegrass]

Of course, I'm coming from the angle of a dog owner whose dog was rejected by the "mommy" dog (don't think I can use the real world on FR, LOL).

"mommy" dog...you mean a "Shrillary"? :)

[nmh]

GOOD GOD!

WHAT kind of snake is that? An anaconda ?

I'd have a heart attack if I saw that slithering along.

Is this your snake?

[LadyShallott]

I second that response. :)

[alnitak]

It's a reticulated python, called - wait for it - "fluffy". And yes they do feed 'em on rabbits. It isn't mine, I got the pic from here:

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=8354&password=&sort=1&cat=998&page=1

Lots more cool pictures. I have one pet snake myself, a corn snake which is a mere 20 inches (will grow to 4-5 feet).

[Tax-chick]

Nothing like that should be done in front of the kids,"

Right, the same "kids" that watch slasher films and play "Grand Theft Auto." They're so sensitive.