MAYPEARL — A student was placed in in-school suspension after she recorded an agricultural science teacher instructing one female junior high student in Maypearl to kill a rabbit by swinging it against a metal pole during a class demonstration.

The student who recorded the incident was subsequently sent to in-school suspension for three days and, according to the parent, has since transferred out of the class taught by Robert Merritt.

In a video provided to the Daily Light, the mother — who wished to remain anonymous in order to protect the identity of a student or students involved — confirmed that a 7th-grade girl was instructed by the teacher to kill the rabbit and it was her daughter that recorded the actions during the February class. The parent also confirmed the teacher is the one heard in the video instructing the student to "hit the head.”

“The video is disturbing to myself, as well as many others who have seen it,” the mother said. “(My daughter) was given three days in-school suspension from the principal. She was given a zero for the day in the class, which, at the time, brought her grade into failing. On top of that, Mr. Merritt said she would have to enter ‘writer’s block’ when she returned to his classroom, which means she would receive eight different writing assignments over eight days. At this point, he was making it almost impossible for my daughter to even pass his class. We had her removed from his class, so she did not have to complete the [writing] punishment. I do feel that the three days of in-school suspension was an unfair punishment for her taking a video clip of an assignment that the kids were assigned to do.”

The parent went on to explain that during a meeting with Merritt and the principal that the agriculture science teacher said the student knew she was breaking the rules, which is why she attempted to hide the cell phone. The mother said she then asked why students have been allowed to record during other portions of the class and used a specific example of such an instance, to which Merritt told those at the meeting that he has never allowed the use of cell phones in his classroom.

“But if she were hiding it, she wouldn’t have posted it. We have taught our daughter that anything she posts (online) can be seen by anybody even if you delete it,” the mother explained. “[…] We also brought up to the principal that all the kids have been told is to not have their cell phones out in the locker rooms or bathrooms. The phone policy has not been enforced with these kids, which is another reason my daughter is confused as to why she is being punished.

“The father of the girl in the video showed the video to the principal and superintendent, not to get my daughter in trouble, but to bring attention to what occurred in the video to them. He thought the assignment was very inhumane, as it is in my eyes, my daughter’s eyes, and, honestly, anyone we have talked to about this incident.”

In an email correspondence, Maypearl ISD Superintendent Ritchie Bowling stated that the district is aware of the video and actions that occurred during the class, but, due to FERPA, could not comment on any disciplinary action taken. Bowling explained the video was taken during an outdoor education class that educates students on survival, shelter and fire building, as well as the harvesting and processing different breeds of animals.

"Parents and students signed a letter prior to the start of the school year describing various elements of the class," Bowling stated. "The campus receives many requests each year from students wishing to take the course. We have determined that activities surrounding animal harvesting or dispatching will not be a part of future classes."

Bowling added that, as of Friday, April 7, the district had received two complaints concerning the actions that were recorded in February during the class.

According to a handful of websites and survival books, there are several methods to harvest a rabbit. For instance, how-to-hunt-rabbit.com states breaking the neck between the pointer finger and thumb is the "most popular rabbit killing method for hunters." This approach, called chinning, offers a "simple and fast kill."

Both tacticalintelliegence.net and raising-rabbits.com prefer the blunt-force or clubbing method, which involves striking the rabbit sharply on the base of the skull with a solid object — such as a metal pipe, tree branch or ball-peen hammer.

The first website states the method appeared to be used in the video provided to the Daily Light is referred to as "blunt impact killing" and states "this method looks brutal, despite being incredibly humane."

For Marta Holmberg, PETA Senior Director of Youth Outreach and Campaign, the lesson being taught is "cruel" and teaches students a "very dangerous lesson."

"If an educator finds it acceptable to have students inflict pain and suffering on a living being as part of a school project, that's cause for serious concern. Hurting an animal for any reason not only is cruel and often illegal but also teaches students the very dangerous lesson that it's OK to exploit and abuse those who are weaker than they are," Holmberg stated. "Since bullying and youth violence are rampant in schools, educators have a responsibility to teach young people to protect and show empathy to animals—which is the exact opposite of what this teacher allegedly did.

"TeachKind, PETA's humane-education division, will be contacting all the schools in Maypearl Independent School District next week with offers of free humane-education resources and to urge them—in light of this callous, disturbing, and dangerous lesson—to teach kindness to animals."