Unusually, in this instance, there is a connection between feline inappropriate elimination and a senior teacher who may lose his job. What connects a cat peeing outside the litter box and a man in jeopardy of losing his job and possibly his career as a teacher? Well, let me say right away that the senior teacher acted correctly under the circumstances as he has updated me on the event as at Dec 3rd 2018 (see below).
When we say a cat is peeing inappropriately we are referring to how humans perceive it. From a cat’s perspective, he/she is peeing appropriately because there is always a good reason for a cat to pee or defecate outside the litter box. In this instance it appears to have been a simple mistake by the cat. The problem was resolved by the purchase of “a top entry cat box”.
David McIntyre is the assistant principal at Beaufort High School. He is currently (at the date of this post) on paid administrative leave because he was arrested when the police turned up at his home after he had an argument with his ex-wife. When they turned up he had guessed that she had called 911 and he approached them as they pulled into his drive.
In an email received on Dec 3rd 2018, David tells me that:
“The incident began as an altercation between my then ex-wife and my 13 year old daughter as I was at my ex-wife’s home picking my daughter up after church. [The altercation began] because my daughter’s cat would not sit down in the litter box while urinating and urine came out of the litter-box…”
He told the police the truth. His ex verified what he said to them. The argument escalated to an assault in which he allegedly slapped his ex-wife twice. Apparently she still had the evidence when the police arrived: a red face. He faces a charge of second-degree domestic violence. Having been arrested he has been released on a $10,000 bond.
In defence, Mr McIntyre complained to the police that both he and his daughter had endured instances when his ex-wife had verbally abused them both. They had been married for 17 years.
David McIntyre may lose his job because if he’s convicted of violating federal or South Carolina laws he can be removed from his teaching and administrative post. This would be a great shame.
Update by Mr McIntyre (Dec 3rd 2018):
“This incident has now been completely resolved…”
“I am an animal lover and I am a kind gentle soul, but I think you would agree that law enforcement’s decision to charge me after using force to restrain my ex-wife from harming my daughter was wrong. The courts believed it to be wrong and that is why this incident is expunged, my employer believed it to be wrong and that is why I was reinstated in my job..”
Mr McIntyre acted honourably at all times and it seems the police had stereotyped views on what had happened before investigating.
Source: thestate.com/news and David McIntyre.
No matter how bad the verbal abuse, you do not use physical violence as defence against it or attack to shut it down. Ever, end of. No excuse.
Neither of them are fit to keep companion animals if their home runs in such a distressing, aggressive manner. They should not keep cats especially.
I wonder if the poor cat was declawed?. Escalating outside the box elimination is one of the big signs of distress from declaw pain, often the very last issue to be even considered by vets in backwards countries where cats are routinely mutilated and crippled by legal declawing.
As an assistant principal he would have been well aware of the possible consequences. If your spouse is physically or mentally abusing you and by association your children and in this case a pet you have to question his stability to have authority over children.
He is also by law a mandated reporter. When the cat is peeing outside the box normal people take the cat to the vet they don’t end up with a 911 call for domestic abuse.
If this is how he conducts his private life why would you want him near children ? I feel sorry for their daughter and the cat stuck living with a couple of nuts.
SERIOUSLY?! u mean u have never “snapped” before & done something u regret? the man ADMITTED what he did. its NOT nuts for people to argue u know. MAYBE he loves his wife & didnt want to leave her & he endured her berating n an effort to stay together & try to fix it. u NEVER know what IS going on n a home until u live with them. its really easy to condemn someone for what u THINK is going on. it COULD BE a madhouse there, but the madness MAY come SOLELY from the wife, as it SEEMS to be the case, since it was said that their daughter stated that her dad WAS constantly being berated by her mother.
maybe the fact that ive gone through something similar with someone i cared for makes it easier for me to be compassionate about what this guy is going through. also, if he is acting professionally ON THE JOB then theres NO REASON why he shouldnt be near children. its NOT like he was arrested for kiddy porn, molestation, child endangerment, or the like. should others loose their jobs because THEY have problems at home too? cuz whenever u have to different people living together there will be SOME problems. the ONLY difference here is that the police came THIS TIME. 40% of domestic violence is against men, women call the police several times more than men, & women are believed more than men-as they(men)tend to be victim shamed by the police & others. i should know, i went through it, & ive checked the data(53% of women felt that hitting their spouse or someone they lived with to “get through to them”;NOT due to past violence, was ok, 52% because of”something they said”, & 26% just “to make them do something”. there r several more studies like that one. feel free to look them up, like i did many years ago, as well as today just to make sure.)
so till we know the WHOLE STORY maybe we should save the castigation, yeah?
You really are the apologist for domestic abuse aren’t you?
Ed Young,because of attitudes like yours, domestic abuse flourishes.
There is no excuse.
If you believe that women are more believed than men when they report abuse, you are poorly informed.
There is no excuse for using physical violence. The man is an adult. He has a choice.