Published On: Mon, May 14th, 2012

Florida High School Teacher Faces Dismissal for Using Dog Collar to Discipline Students

A Zephyrhills High School science teacher faces dismissal for allegedly using a “cone of shame” dog collar to discipline her ninth-grade students, reported CBS Miami in an article Thursday.

Administrators at Zephyrhills High discovered the teacher’s actions after parents pointed out photos on Facebook with the cones.

Pasco County Schools superintendent Heather Fiorentino has recommended physical science teacher Laurie Bailey-Cutkomp, 47, be fired for putting the collar – used to prevent animals from licking themselves after surgery – on some of her students in April.

Bailey-Cutkomp got the ‘cone of shame’ idea from the 2009 animated film, “Up”.

“I am stunned that you would put dog collars on students for any reason,” Fiorentino said in a letter to Bailey-Cutkomp, reported the CBS.

As luck would have it, the Facebook photos posted by the students in the class were the reason parents were able to report the incident to school officials. Zephyrhills High School administrators have struggled for months to put in place policy that controls unauthorized use of photos and videos taken in school on Facebook.

Bailey-Cutkomp, who is accused of violating district and state ethics rules, has requested a hearing before the School Board to appeal the superintendent’s decision, according to the report. She remains suspended until the hearing.

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