On April 15, 2009, two students at Hawthorne High School, in Alachua County, Florida outside Gainesville, bashed a live chicken to the ground, videotaped the episode, and posted it on the Internet. Meanwhile, students inside the school tortured chickens to death in an orgy of classroom cruelty, including decapitation and neck “popping,” under the eye of Future Farmers of America teacher, Allen Shaw. The YouTube video shows Robert Gordon bashing a chicken, while Patrick Dougan says “Rip him apart” and “This is animal cruelty.” They laugh as the chicken flops to death on the ground. Though Dougan and Gordon were arrested and charged with animal cruelty, the charges were reluctantly dropped by the State Attorney’s Office on technicalities. The YouTube video that sparked the law enforcement investigation can be seen at www.upc-online.org/hawthorne/.

Fueled by this episode, UPC president Karen Davis and executive director of Humane Educators Reaching Out (HERO), Susan Hargreaves, filed a Petition for Agency Action with the Florida Department of Education seeking “promulgation of new or clarified rules for humane treatment of animals and banning animal slaughter in K-12 classrooms pursuant to the statutory mandates of Florida education law.” The  Petition hopes to end animal abuse in Florida schools and foster compassion and respect to all living creatures.

Excerpt from the Petition: “The orgy of cruelty in Allen Shaw’s class led directly to the torture of a living creature outside the classroom. Instead of learning to be kind to animals, students were taught to be cruel. This is not what students should be learning from their teachers.” The Petition in its entirety can be read at www.upc-online.org/fldoepetition

What Can I Do?

Sign this Petition to send a message in support of ending killing and cruelty in the classroom.

You can also write letters to the addresses below.

Urge Florida officials in charge of public schools to implement Florida’s humane education laws and prohibit the harming and killing of animals in Florida classrooms. Implore them to ensure that no situation akin to the animal cruelty and butchery conducted at Hawthorne High School takes place again in a Florida school. Request a written reply to your concerns.

Commissioner of Department of Education

Office of the Commissioner

Turlington Bldg., Suite 1514

325 West Gaines Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399

Phone: 850-245-0505

Fax: 850-245-9667

Email: commissioner@fldoe.org

 

W. DANIEL BOYD, JR. & BOARD MEMBERS

Superintendent of Schools

Alachua County Public Schools

620 E. University Avenue

Gainesville, FL 32601

Phone: 352-955-7300

Email: supt@gm.sbac.edu & boardmembers@gm.sbac.edu

 

VEITA JACKSON-CARTER

Hawthorne Middle/High School Principal

Hawthorne High School

21403 SE 69th Avenue

Hawthorne, FL 32640

Phone: 352-481-1900

Fax: 352-481-4859

Email: jacksonvl@gm.sbac.edu