Reptile & Amphibian Forums

CONCORD MONITOR (New Hampshire) 21 April 05 Teacher resigns over snakes - Seized reptiles later found not poisonous (Allison Steele)
A Concord High School science teacher has abruptly left his job, shortly after the state Fish and Game Department seized six snakes suspected of being poisonous from cages in his classroom. Although that claim was later found to be false, biology teacher Kenelm Blakeslee, 36, resigned sometime before students left for their winter break at the end of February.
Blakeslee kept his snakes in cages in his classroom and used them as teaching tools. Though some of the confiscated snakes, mostly cobras and rattlesnakes, had been poisonous at one time, Blakeslee had their venom-producing glands removed before he brought them to school, Blakeslee's lawyer said.
"He would never bring a poisonous snake into the school and endanger children," said Steven Sacks, a staff attorney for the state chapter of the National Education Association, New Hampshire's largest teachers' union. "The snakes that were in his classroom were carefully caged and posed no threat to anyone."
Though the state agrees that the snakes are not dangerous, and Blakeslee was not arrested or charged with any crime, Sacks said Blakeslee felt he needed to resign for personal and professional reasons.
The rumors and speculation about Blakeslee's departure have grown increasingly fantastical since he left. Most students, however, believe Blakeslee felt he had to leave because of the trouble with his animals. Meanwhile, some parents are angry that Blakeslee's freshman biology classes have since been taught by substitute teachers, who sometimes show movies or have the class use the periods as study halls.
The district is mailing letters to parents today explaining that Blakeslee resigned and informing them that a permanent replacement teacher will start in the coming weeks, Concord Superintendent Chris Rath said yesterday. She would not comment on why Blakeslee left.
Blakeslee, who lives in Warner, did not wish to comment for this story. He started at Concord High in September 2001. He was well-known for the menagerie of exotic animals he kept in his classroom. At times, he had tarantulas, scorpions, chinchillas and a chameleon. He had a reputation as a challenging teacher who expected a lot from his students.
Some students said they didn't like Blakeslee and found his animals creepy or gross. But other students loved Blakeslee and said his hands-on approach made science more interesting. Tyler Broth, 15, said that during a unit on heredity, Blakeslee brought out seven snakes and draped them on himself, then talked about their different traits. Another time, when the class was learning about elements, Blakeslee dropped a rose into liquid nitrogen to show the class how it froze, then shattered it on a table.
"He was great like that," said Broth, who was shocked to come to class one day and find Blakeslee and all of his animals gone. "A lot of the kids didn't like him because he was tough. But I thought he was one of the best teachers I've ever had."
It is unclear how Blakeslee's snakes, which have been part of his lesson plans for years, caught the attention of the Fish and Game Department. But in February, someone reported him to the department, and on Feb. 24, officers from Fish and Game filed a complaint against Blakeslee in Concord District Court.
The complaint alleges that Blakeslee was keeping six venomous snakes in his classroom: a monocled cobra, an albino monocled cobra, two pygmy rattlesnakes, one Southern copperhead and one Eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Officers came to the school, took the snakes and charged Blakeslee with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor criminal offense, for placing the students and faculty in danger.
Later, Sacks said, Blakeslee provided officers with documentation proving that the snakes had undergone procedures to de-venomize them. Officers agreed, Sacks said, but they did find that Blakeslee was in violation of another regulation. Snakes that have had their venom removed must be checked periodically by experts to ensure that they have not started producing venom again, Sacks said, and Blakeslee had instead been checking himself.
Last week, officers downgraded the complaint to a violation, rather than a misdemeanor. Blakeslee was fined $200, and the state has said he can reclaim his snakes. Blakeslee is hoping to find a teaching job elsewhere, Sacks said.
Principals and science teachers at nearby high schools said that while keeping cobras or rattlesnakes is unusual, it isn't unheard of.
"Classrooms all over the United States have all kinds of animals,"said Jen Miller, a science teacher at Merrimack Valley High School. "I've heard of teachers who have had tarantulas with their venom removed, so you can hold them, or scorpions. As long as it's being used as a learning tool."
Link

Being a biologist married to a teacher I feel a closeness to this scenario as I often bring reptiles into schools for demos and talks. Having animals in class can be SO important to development of understanding and appreciation for "wild things" in our younger generations. They simply dont have the interest or opportunities that I had as a kid and as a result they have little to no knowledge of the natural world around them outside of the Discovery Channel. Keeping venomoids in a classroom though is alittle much, even a void can inflict damage and the fallout from something like that would end the keeping of animals in a classroom environment. I dont think he thought of the consequences to a kid breaking in and messing with the snakes, of a kid picking one up and getting hit in the face or eye, even a void could blind you or do some serious nerve damage. But I can appreciate what he was doing, educating children about nature is SO DAMN IMPORTANT in todays world. It seems all kids are aware of is Britney Spears and the rest of those morons who produce NOTHING WORTHWHILE but use more resources than a small village in Honduras every year.
Its too bad that some parent who disagreed with his teaching methods turned him in (being married to a teacher you find out how bad parents can be)and caused all this trouble. Their actions only hurt their children as it appears they have lost a good science teacher.
Every child I have ever spoken to about reptiles tells me they have learned so much and that I helped clarify all the "facts" that they learn at home or on the street such as, "the only good snake is a dead snake", or, "snakes wont die until sundown" etc... Or is it that our society wants everyone to fear nature and all that it holds in order to better control us?
At the least this incident has probably prompted more bans and future restrictions. Had my biology teacher been banned from taking us to the beach for our biology class because of the possibility of drowning, I might never have become a biologist.
Of course that was 25 years ago, when we had more freedom. ALOT different than todays world.
Cheers
Lat

I have a problem with him having venomoids. He could very well have had rat snakes or a variety of other interesting snakes, but to essentially advocate the practice of mutilation is also sending a message--the wrong message. His intent may have been good, but the way he put his intent into practice wasn't very well thought out.

I share your thoughts, good intentions but perhaps not the best means of expressing them.
CHeers
Lat

I agree with everything said so far. There are plenty of snakes suitable for a classroom and anything venomous by nature is better left to be housed somewhere else and displayed in facilities designed to do so or events like Rob Carmichael recently held. I might even be more inclided to agree with venomous snakes being held in a high school if they were secured in another room properly equipt to keep them in and secured in locked enclosures. The students could then see the animals under faculty supervision. It is a stretch but I certainly would rather see something like that than a few venomoids in the classroom. Being in a state where venomous regulations are so strict and being a part of a group that focusses on educating the public (and hobby) on reptiles, I see the importance of education on venomous reptiles very clearly. The kids really are losing on it. I guess that is enough ramble but I feel the situation was delt with appropriately by all parties from what I read. And to lateralis, I wish I could look up some old biology teachers and tell them how the animals in the class stuck out in my mind. Or the time I was asked in 5th grade to help carry around the big python for the assembly, then getting into a debate with the curator on what the worlds largest snake is : )

I thank former teachers whenever I get the chance, without their direction I would truly have missed my calling.
CHeers
Lat

In my opinion, venomous snakes, whether operated upon or not, should not be kept in a classroom. I have no problem with them being brought to a classroom, & did so myself for many years.
If a janitor or a student messes with a corn snake or a boa in a classroom whaen nobody else is there, the worst that can happen is that the snake escapes. If the snake is a cobra or a crotalid, the situation is vastly different. The fact that the snakes were venomoids helps in that the potential for a lethal bite is probably removed, but I still do not like it at all.

The attached website is basically the program I did for near thirty years in schools & elsewhere.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

np

Those pix were all taken by Bill Love, & are not necessarily of my animals. If you mean the leucistic, we tried to get her to breed, but were never successful.

~~Greg~~