High School teacher forces freshmen to wear dog collar as punishment after being inspired by 'cone of shame' in Pixar flick Up



A Florida teacher who allegedly punished her students by forcing them to wear a dog collar is on the rocks with administrators.



Pasco County superintendent Heather Fiorentino wants physical science teacher Laurie Bailey-Cutkomp, 47, out of Zephyrhills High School for allegedly putting the 'cone of shame' on eight of her freshman students.



Administrators learned of the incident after some of the students posted images of it on Facebook, but Bailey-Cutkomp, and some of her students, say it was all just a joke.

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Woof: Pasco County superintendent Heather Fiorentino wants physical science teacher Laurie Bailey-Cutkomp, 47, out of Zephyrhills High School for allegedly putting a dog collar on eight of her freshman students

School Shame: Administrators learned of the incident after students posted images of it on Facebook

'Ms. Bailey-Cutkomp, your actions show extremely poor judgment and concern me for several reasons. I am stunned that you would put dog collars on students for any reason,' Mrs Fiorentino wrote in a letter recommending the teacher be fired.



'I am very concerned that you used this collar to punish and embarrass students in front of their peers.'



Bailey-Cutkomp is accused of violating district and state ethics rules, but she maintains her innocence.

She requested a formal hearing in front of the school board to explain her actions, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Mrs Fiorentino claims that the incident occurred in April, just before spring break.



She says that Bailey-Cutkomp screened the Pixar movie Up, allegedly to kill time, and was inspired when she saw how one of the characters, Dug, was forced to wear the 'cone of shame' as punishment for being disobedient.

On a Leash: Bailey-Cutkomp is accused of violating district and state ethics rules, but she maintains her innocence. Zephyrhills High School, home of the Bulldogs, is pictured

Dog collars are meant to be put around the heads of dogs and cats to keep them from gnawing on their wounds after surgery.

'I was in second period. I was drinking soda, and she said, "Do I have to put the cone on you?"' wrote one student in Mrs Fiorentino's formal complaint.



'I didn't say anything and she put it on me.'



Bailey-Cutkomp worked in veterinary care before becoming a teacher at Zephyrhills High School, where the mascot is a bulldog.

Animated Lessons: The teacher was inspired by a part in the movie Up, when she saw how one of the characters, Dug, was forced to wear the cone of shame as punishment for being disobedient

Another student, and several teachers, have spoken out defending Bailey-Cutkomp.



'Whatever mistake Ms Bailey-Cutkomp made, it was a mistake that I doubt she will make again,' wrote ninth-grade teacher James Washington.

