Teacher Thomas Roger Allison Jr. is on unpaid leave after calling students “murderers” for raising livestock. The 53-year-old science teacher at Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks near Ocala, Florida reportedly told Future Farmers of America (FFA) students that they were killers. The former teacher-of-the-year nominee allegedly bullied and harassed FFA students who raised livestock.
An anonymous source tipped off the Superintendent of Schools Heidi Maier and a 10-day investigation was launched.“When the animals’ throats are being slit, they are calling out your names, asking why you are not coming to save them,” Allison allegedly told FFA students regarding animals they raised and subsequently sold at the Southeastern Youth Fair.
Seems a bit aggressive to being telling kids that.
Agricultural teacher Donna Lavery says FFA students have come to her crying, stating that Allison called them “murderers.”
The Ocala Star-Banner reports Allison is also accused of harassing the group’s teacher adviser and encouraging his honors science students to harass FAA members.
When the harassment didn’t end the school’s agriculture program, he allegedly told students that he was in the process of obtaining an agriculture certification to take over the agricultural department and stop all projects involving animals.
Allison, who is a self-proclaimed animal rights activist, purchased one FFA student’s lamb, named Buddy, and placed it in an animal sanctuary. He wrote about Buddy in his personal blog and said, “the lamb was happy that he was going to the sanctuary.”
— Myrt Price (@MPriceWFTV) April 27, 2017
