Dead cats and pep rallies don’t mix

Presented for those of you who think that Perrysburg is boring, this story from the 10/11 Blade:

A pep rally at Perrysburg High School yesterday prompted complaints from students who were upset that a teacher displayed a dead cat at the event.

Two parents called the school district to complain about the dead cat on behalf of their children, who are students at the school, Perrysburg Superintendent Michael Cline said.

“We will be doing a thorough investigation on Monday,” he said.

“The teacher is willing to talk to those students who were upset by the situation and will make an apology to them sometime Monday.”

The pep rally, held during the end of the school day, preceded a football game between Perrysburg and Maumee high schools. The schools are longtime rivals.

The cat symbolized the Maumee mascot, which is a panther, Mr. [He’s a Ph.D, folks — Ed] Cline said.

The teacher, who Mr. Cline declined to identify while the district is investigating the incident, got the dead cat from the biology lab. The cat was a dissection specimen.

The teacher tied the dead cat to a rod and waved it around at the rally.

“That was a bad idea, and not a humane example to kids as an educator,” said Susan Maxwell, spokesman for the Toledo Area Humane Society. [But I s’pose it’s OK to torture participles, huh?]