Clay Davenport
04-21-2005, 11:38 PM
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 (http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050421/REPOSITORY/504210315/1031)
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 (http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050421/REPOSITORY/504210315/1031)