PALESTINE, TX – Emily Marie Benner, a 25-year-old high school agriculture teacher, was arrested over the weekend on charges of cruelty to non-livestock animals. The charges followed an incident in which she allegedly demonstrated to her students how to staple a cat’s incision while the animal was fully conscious and resisting. The incident, which took place at Westwood High School in Palestine, Texas, was reportedly captured on video.
The video, as described by local media, showed the cat being held down by students, flipped over, and used as part of Benner’s agricultural animal science class lesson. The incident reportedly led to the cat being taken to a veterinarian. Benner, who was wearing a “Teach Ag” T-shirt at the time of her booking, smiled for her mug shot.
Westwood ISD’s superintendent, Wade Stanford, expressed deep concern over the incident in a letter to parents and students. He described the incident as “deeply troubling” and “amounting to animal cruelty.” He assured the school community that the district takes such matters extremely seriously and deeply regrets the distress caused to the students involved or who witnessed it.
While Stanford did not immediately specify what actions the district would take in response to the incident, he assured that “immediate and decisive action to address this issue” would be taken. He also noted that the behavior exhibited in the video was not in line with the values and standards upheld by the district.
Despite the incident, Benner still holds a valid certificate for teaching in Texas public schools, according to state records. She was released on the same day of her arrest on a $7,500 bond. It remains unclear if she has legal representation.
The law pertaining to the treatment of domesticated animals, including feral cats, defines a “cruel manner” as causing or permitting “unjustified or unwarranted pain or suffering.” However, it also provides a defense to prosecution under this section if the “actor was engaged in bona fide experimentation for scientific research.”