Teacher Suspended for Showing Slaughterhouse Video

A teacher in Au Gres, MI is on administrative leave after showing his class a Mercy For Animals (MFA) undercover investigation video. Au Gres-Sims Superintendent Jeffrey Collier announced the suspension of fifth grade science teacher Michael Fields on January 18, saying that Fields was an “excellent teacher on staff. [A] strong leader who made a poor decision in his judgment in this particular case.” The video depicts undercover footage workers at a Tyson factory farm kicking, punching, and slamming piglets headfirst onto concrete—standard and legal practices on today’s pork farms. Parents in the school district convened at a school board meeting calling for a reprimanding of Fields, with one saying her daughter called the experience “disturbing.” Perhaps more disturbing, however, is the continued support of and lack of focus on the industry that has spurred such intense reactions.