A disturbing video obtained by New Hampshire ABC affiliate WMUR shows a group of high school football players beating a duck and then strangling it until it died.
The students in question attend Kennett High School in Conway, N.H. and were attending a football camp in Moltonborough when the attack on the animal occurred. The attack landed the students involved suspensions and community service penalties, with some student athletes forced to serve game suspensions that already did or will keep them out of football action.
“The heinous activity of a duck being hit over the head with a broomstick is what ended up happening,” Conway Superintendent Kevin Richard told WMUR. “And then another student ended up euthanizing the duck. It was hurt pretty badly.”
The school has reportedly been inundated with calls about the incident since news of the killing first trickled out locally. While Richard refuses to defend the students, he did acknowledge that there are social and emotional aspects that come into any punishment for the teens.
“There are very strong opinions both ways, and you try to come back with what you think is reasonable, and also recognizing that these are adolescents that make bad choices and this was a grievous mistake.”
