Science teacher to feed Boas puppies

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Found this nugget via Drudge Report, who found it via Tampa Tribune, who found it via AP...

 

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAB7FC8AYC.html

 

LEON, Kan. (AP) - A teacher's plan to feed three unwanted puppies to boa constrictors during a high school biology class was stymied after complaints from some parents and tears from some students.

 

Matthew Patton, a teacher at Bluestem High School in this southeast Kansas town, keeps two of the snakes in his classroom and sometimes feeds them during class so students can see how they eat.

 

Three puppies were donated Tuesday by Davy Harkins, a school board member who operates a shelter where animals are put to sleep for the local pound.

 

Patton approached the feeding from a scientific perspective, Principal Dale Harper said.

 

"I'm not sure that he considered the sensitivity of some people when it involved what's considered a pet," said Harper, a former biology teacher. "Very few people have a problem with seeing a rat go."

 

Harkins said he saw the dogs being fed to the snakes as something productive since they would have been destroyed otherwise. He is now trying to find them homes.

 

"I see how many puppies go unwanted every week," Harkins said. "I hate to see any life wasted."

 

Harper said there are campaigns afoot to have Patton fired but there were no violations and the issue was resolved without any puppies being harmed.

 

"I think he does a good job for us," Harper said. "This just happened to be a very sensitive issue."

 

Harper said he was told about Patton's plan for the puppies Wednesday morning by a school official who had received a complaint from a parent.

 

Harper said he asked Patton not to feed the puppies to the snakes and Patton immediately agreed. Harper said he saw a few students crying.

 

"When you have soft, cuddly puppies ... there are people who get real concerned," he said.

 

Patton has been a teacher at the school for about five years and there has never been any serious problems with his teaching, Harper said. Patton did not immediately return a call for comment Friday.

[Guest RetroRob215]

What an idiot, did he seriously think that parents, students and administration would allow him to do that in a class room?

[Guest cobainwasmurdered]

that is screwed up. what a moron

[Guest TUS_02]

I found that too while doing some broadcast journalism homework... I was actually gonna use it too... but I found something better.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Snakes have to eat too.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Tus, what did you find "better"?

 

And why can't snakes be vegans?

[Guest TUS_02]

Well, by better... I meant in terms of what I needed for the assignment, but it was some dude in the south who, instead of creamating bodies, would bury them in the backyard of the creamation factory.  Police found stacks of bodies... like over 300.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Oh, that story. Too bad the bio teacher didn't hook up with the Ga. guy. Both parties could have gotten what they wanted (food for the snake, a disposal for Ga. guy) and we'd have nothing to talk about.