Marion County Schools Superintendent Dr. Heidi Maier released a statement Wednesday calling for the school board to oust a Forest High School agriculture teacher accused of drowning nuisance animals in class.
“Marion County’s education standards – in fact, Florida’s education standards – do not include activities for the destruction of live animals, nuisance or not,” the statement reads. “While law enforcement determines whether this teacher’s actions were legal or not, his actions before students are entirely unacceptable and cause us great concern.”
The teacher, Dewie Brewton, was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave Tuesday while the district, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Health conduct separate investigations.
Brewton, who has been at the school since 2006 and was Forest High’s nominee for Golden Apple Teacher of the Year in 2010, is accused of drowning caged raccoons earlier this week in a trash can as some students participated and others watched. One of the animals supposedly had eaten one of the chickens the class was raising.
Several students reported that when the raccoons tried to come up for air, metal rods were used to hold them down and they were sprayed in the face with water hoses.
At least one student filmed the drownings and reported it to his mother, who told multiple news outlets the act “made me sick to my stomach.” Another parent called it “horrific” and “disgusting.” And another said students were told not to photograph or take video of the drownings.
Outraged parents and others upset about the situation have started an online effort through the Care2 Community calling for Brewton’s termination. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 13,000 people had signed a petition supporting the cause.
You can view it at http://www.care2.com/go/z/raccoons
Comments on the petition page included such things as, “These acts were deplorable,” “It’s inhumane treatment and torture being done at a public school” and “What kind of example is this to the next generation of impressionable youngsters?”
Meanwhile, many of Brewton’s former students have come to his defense via the Forest High School FFA Alumni Facebook page, which had more than 1,200 likes Thursday afternoon.
“We would like to say that we are 100% behind our advisor and everything he does for our children/students,” the Facebook post reads. “This is a man who would give everything he had to make sure that his children/students are taken care of.”
The post goes on to say that Brewton is known for going “above and beyond his call of duty” to make sure his students have everything they need.
“He has spent late nights, weekends and has provided around the clock support for his club and for his school,” the post reads. “He is a man of faith and has always provided the wisdom and guidance needed for his students to succeed.”
This isn’t the first time that Forest High School, located at 5000 SE Maricamp Rd., has been in the news recently. On April 20, former student Sky Bouche was arrested after a shooting at the school left a 17-year-old wounded. Bouche, who faces multiple charges including terrorism and aggravated assault with a firearm, has pleaded not guilty.
Deputy Jim Long, the school resource officer who arrested Bouche within three minutes of hearing the shotgun blast, was awarded the Medal of Heroism by Gov. Rick Scott six days after the shooting.
