A science teacher at an Idaho high school has come under fire for allegedly feeding a puppy to a snapping turtle in front of his students.
According to the Idaho State Journal, Robert Crosland, a teacher at Preston Junior High School, is accused of feeding a puppy to a snapping turtle in the presence of three students. The alleged March 8 incident is being investigated by local police but it’s not yet known whether the educator will face charges.
Farahlyn Hansen, the mother of two of the three students involved in last week’s incident, said her boys told her that a staff member had unlocked Crosland’s locked door after hearing the puppy crying. According to the Hansen, Crosland exited the room and told his colleague what was happening to the puppy, which made the colleague very upset.
Hansen—who has come out in support of the science teacher—claimed her boys told her that the puppy was ill and had been abandoned by its mother. In turn, Crosland reportedly explained to the students that the puppy, in its sickness, would help keep the snapping turtle alive.
“My kids were upset to see Fox News there [at the school]. My kids are very upset about the way [Crosland] is being portrayed in the news,” she told the newspaper.
“I felt like it was the more humane thing for [Crosland] to do than to just leave it to die.”
Hansen’s comments notwithstanding, it has not been confirmed whether the puppy was dead or alive when Crosland allegedly fed it to the snapping turtle. According to KSTU, the science teacher also keeps a snake in the classroom.
Alarmingly, local reports indicated that Crosland is still in the classroom and hasn’t been placed on leave while the school district conducts their investigation.
“The event occurred well after students had been dismissed and was not a part of any school-directed program,” Preston School District 201 Superintendent Marc Gee said in a news release issued to East Idaho News.
“We emphasize that at no time was the safety of students or staff compromised.”
Citing a conflict of interest, Franklin County Prosecutor Vic Pearson told the Idaho State Journal that he’s turned the case over to a prosecutor in a neighboring county who will determine if Crosland will be criminally charged.
Preston Junior High School has declined CrimeOnline‘s request for comment while calls and emails to Preston School District went unanswered.
[Featured Image: Robert Crosland/Preston Junior High School]
