A former Texas public school teacher was charged with allegedly torturing four cats to death over the course of five months, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday.
Graham Reid, 29, was arrested in late April and charged with four counts of felony cruelty to non-livestock animals, according to the Chronicle. Reid allegedly beat and tortured four cats ranging in age from a 4-month-old kitten to a 1-year-old cat on separate occasions.
Alleged cat killer a former Fort Bend ISD teacher https://t.co/QYYoDAgLrQ
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) May 18, 2021
Reid was a geometry teacher at Ridge Point High School, which is part of the Fort Bend Independent School District, the Chronicle reported. A spokesperson for the district told the Chronicle that the school was aware of the charges against a teacher “who is no longer employed with the district.”
Reid reportedly expressed feeling “powerful” when he tortured the cats, and told investigators he did it to relieve stress, a warrant said.
One former student said they remembered coming to class on April 30, two days after Reid’s arrest, and not seeing him in class.
“Then it was two days later the principal came into school and said he had quit for unknown reasons. We never got any more info from the school besides that since then,” the student told the Chronicle.
Reid was reportedly arrested April 28, and posted a $25,000 bond that day.
Students told the Chronicle they were shocked when they became aware of what their former teacher was accused of doing.
“He was really laid back honestly,” one student said. “There were times where he would seem to be a bit stressed but he never snapped at us or raised his voice at any of us. He was very nice though. He seemed invested in his students, which I really liked.”
“He never seemed to have a sadistic personality or behavior,” the student added.
Another student, who told the Chronicle that Reid had been their teacher, said they wanted someone to “comfort” them after learning about the allegations.
The district reportedly said counselors and staff are available to the teacher’s former students to “safeguard” their “emotional well-being.”
Numerous teachers have been arrested on charges ranging from sexual misconduct with students to assault.
In Texas, police arrested a teacher in early April after she allegedly assaulted several people at a bar, where she allegedly drew blood and ripped hair from patrons’ scalps.
Another teacher was arrested in Maryland in early May after he allegedly posed as a police officer and then hit and pepper-sprayed multiple people at parks. Investigators believe the suspect could be behind multiple other attacks that happened in the Washington, D.C. area over the course of several years. (RELATED: Teacher Arrested For Allegedly Claiming He Was An Officer Before Hitting, Pepper Spraying People At Park)