Video: Science Teacher Accused of Feeding Puppy to Snapping Turtle in Front of Students
OutdoorHub Reporters 03.13.18
A junior high school teacher in Idaho is now under investigation after police received several reports of a puppy being fed to a reptile during class.
According to KSTU, police say a science teacher, Robert Crosland, demonstrated a live feeding of one of his reptiles in front of students, and the matter is now under police investigation. Crosland reportedly has a snake and a snapping turtle, though specific species are unknown.
A local animal activist, Jill Parrish, filed the original police report, and recalls sitting in Crosland’s classroom herself when she was younger.
“What I have learned in the last four days is disgusting. It is sick. It is sick,” said Parrish. “Allowing children to watch an innocent baby puppy scream because it is being fed to an animal. That is violence. That is not okay,” she continued.
Despite what Parrish says, some students and parents don’t appear shaken by the demonstration . . .
This reported by KSTU:
“Este Hull is a 7th-grade student at Preston Junior High.
“I’ve only heard him feed like mice or birds to his animals … I feel a little bit better that it was a puppy that was going to die, not just a healthy puppy,” says Hull.
It’s a sentiment echoed by parents, Annette Salvesen and Julie Johnson.
“If it was a deformed puppy that was going to die anyway, Cros[land] is very much circle of life,” says Salveson.
“He’s the best science teacher Preston Junior High has,” said Johnson.
Regardless, the incident is being looked into by the Franklin County Sheriff Department.
“We’re investigating the facts and turning it over to the prosecutor. He’s the one who will determine if the law has been broken,” says Sheriff David Fryar.
The Preston School District released the following statement two days after the alleged incident occurred:
“On March 7, 2018 Preston School District was made aware of a regrettable circumstance involving
some of the biological specimens at Preston Jr. High. The event occurred well after students had been
dismissed and was not a part of any school directed program. We emphasize that at no time was the
safety of students or staff compromised.
District administration was made aware of the issue soon after it occurred and immediately began the
process of investigation and taking steps to ensure that this type of action could not be repeated. A
part of any investigation includes determining the best course of action once the facts of the matter
have been ascertained. This is not a situation that is easy, nor do we feel it is a measure that can be
taken lightly. As such we ask for patience while appropriate measures are determined and carried out.
Additional details cannot be shared at this time as the local law enforcement agency is in the process of
gathering information.
While the district certainly does not condone individual actions that may violate district policy or
reasonable expectations of behavior, we hope that any errors in judgement made by a teacher in this
instance will not cause us to forget the years of care, effort, and passion the teacher has given to
students in Preston School District.“
