A middle school science teacher in Idaho is under investigation after he allegedly fed a puppy to a snapping turtle in front of students.
According to East Idaho News, Robert Crosland, a science teacher at Preston Junior High School, is being investigated by local authorities after he reportedly fed a snapping turtle in front of students. The incident, which involved a puppy, allegedly took place on March 7 after classes had ended for the day, though several students still witnessed the feeding.
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“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,” Preston School District 201 Superintendent Marc Gee said in a news release, calling the incident “a regrettable circumstance involving some of the biological specimens.”
Former students of the popular science teacher said that Crosland has multiple exotic animals in his classroom and he’d often feed guinea pigs to snakes and snapping turtles during lessons.
“He is a cool teacher who really brought science to life,” one former student said. “I loved his class because he had turtles and snakes and other cool things.”
It is unclear whether the puppy was dead or alive at the time of the feeding.
Crosland has not been cited or charged and has not been placed on leave, though an investigation into the incident has been opened.
“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,” Gee said in the statement.
The statement also said that while it “certainly does not condone individual actions that may violate district policy or reasonable expectations of behavior,” the school district hopes “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.”
