A Texas high-school agriculture teacher was charged with animal cruelty after instructing her students to staple shut a cat’s incision while it was awake and screaming in pain. The incident occurred in the Westwood district in Palestine, about 112 miles southeast of Dallas. The teacher, Emily Marie Benner, was arrested and released on bond. The shocking incident was captured on video, but its graphic nature prevented its release. In the video, Benner can be seen guiding students as they hold down the cat and staple its incision shut, leading to cheers from the class. The cat was later taken to a local veterinarian for care.
Benner, who received her Texas Educator Certificate in June 2022, was certified to teach agriculture and related subjects to students in grades six through twelve. Following the incident, the superintendent of the Westwood Independent School District, Wade Stanford, addressed the disturbing event in a letter to parents and students. He condemned the act as animal cruelty and emphasized that the district takes such matters extremely seriously. Stanford expressed a commitment to taking immediate and decisive action to address the issue and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The video of the incident shows Benner instructing her students to lay the cat down on a table, despite the animal’s resistance. The cat is heard screaming as the students hold it down, and the teacher guides them in stapling its incision. The students cheer as the lesson concludes, indicating a lack of awareness or concern for the animal’s suffering. The Westwood Independent School District denounced the behavior, stating that it does not align with the district’s values and standards. The community was assured that measures would be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The cat involved in the incident has been placed under the care of a local veterinarian for treatment. The disturbing nature of the video led authorities to charge Benner with animal cruelty to non-livestock. While the school district did not comment on Benner’s employment status, they acknowledged that an investigation is ongoing. The incident sparked outrage among parents, students, and the wider community, prompting calls for accountability and justice for the mistreated animal. The graphic nature of the incident and the callousness displayed by the teacher and students in the video have raised concerns about the treatment of animals in educational settings.
The incident highlights the importance of ethical standards and compassionate treatment of animals, especially in educational environments where the wellbeing of animals should be a top priority. The actions of the teacher and students involved in the incident are a stark reminder of the need for education and awareness about animal welfare and the consequences of animal cruelty. As the investigation into the incident continues, there is a growing demand for accountability and preventative measures to ensure that similar acts of cruelty are not repeated. The community’s response to the incident reflects a deep concern for animal welfare and the ethical treatment of animals in all circumstances.
