Teacher In Trouble Over Forcing Students To Wear ‘Cone Of Shame’

Laurie Bailey-Cutkomp, a Zephyrhills High School teacher is under fire after pictures surfaced of students in her classroom wearing a dog collar as punishment for bad behavior.

The Florida science teacher’s practice of putting students in the so-called “cone of shame” has brought both outrage and laughter from parents and students, who have mixed feelings over what punishment she should receive for the act.

Heahter Fiorentino, Pasco County Schools Superintendent, believed that Bailey-Cutkomp should be fired for a violation of the state’s code of ethics, but some teachers have protested this.

James Washington, a ninth-grade teacher, wrote a letter to the school board, which stated:

“Whatever mistake Ms. Bailey-Cutkomp made, it was a mistake that I doubt she will make again. Furthermore, what I have witnessed at ZHS certainly makes me believe that she has much to offer the students.”

One parent told WTSP-TV that:

“I was disgusted, very disgusted. Like I said, that’s a human, not an animal. You’re not spaying or neutering that person.”

One student at the school disagrees. Tanisha Medina told the new station that:

“She just did it as a joke and said she was gonna punish us by doing it. But she asked us first and we were all laughing and joking around.”

Dr. Walter Afield, a longtime psychiatrist, who has treated numerous teenagers in his career, says:

“This kind of thing as a punishment for kids…crazy. You don’t do that to teenage kids. You don’t do it to any kids, but you sure don’t do it to kids who are sensitive in high school…it’s weird.”

Bailey-Cutkomp remains on unpaid suspension pending the results of the investigation.

[iframe src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/3MnP5bNKUjU” width=”560? height=”315?]