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News: PETA Asks Fox River Grove

Posted by web78377 - on Saturday, September 08, 2007 @ 00:52:16 UTC

For Immediate Release:
September 7, 2007
Contact:
Bruce Friedrich 757-622-7382

"Fox River Grove Middle School is standing education on its head when it cracks down on instructors who teach our kids about kindness and good health," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk. "Mr. Warwak is exposing the meat industry's dirty secrets, and his students have every right to know the truth behind their food choices."

If Mahaffy agrees to allow Warwak to continue to discuss veganism and other animal-related issues, PETA has offered to send each of Warwak's students a "Compassion Care Package," which would include a copy of The Food Revolution, PETA's DVD "Meet Your Meat," and a vegetarian starter kit.

For more information, please visit PETA's Web site GoVeg.com.

Chicago - This morning, PETA fired off a letter to Fox River Grove Middle School Principal Tim Mahaffy urging him to applaud art teacher Dave Warwak for teaching his students about factory farming and other forms of animal abuse that made him go vegan--instead of disciplining and possibly firing Warwak. PETA points out that in this age of school violence and childhood obesity, teaching kids about compassion and the numerous health benefits of a vegan diet should be encouraged at all levels of education. According to news reports, Mahaffy ordered Warwak to leave the classroom after learning that Warwak had shown his students photos of animals in factory farms and given them the book The Food Revolution by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author John Robbins. Warwak explained that going vegan is the best way to help fight animal abuse and safeguard your own health at the same time. In fact, the American Dietetic Association has found that vegans have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

PETA Asks Fox River Grove Middle School Principal to Commend--Not Fire--Art Instructor for Teaching Students the Benefits of Going Vegan

For Immediate Release:
September 7, 2007

Contact:
Bruce Friedrich 757-622-7382

According to news reports, Mahaffy ordered Warwak to leave the classroom after learning that Warwak had shown his students photos of animals in factory farms and given them the book The Food Revolution by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author John Robbins. Warwak explained that going vegan is the best way to help fight animal abuse and safeguard your own health at the same time. In fact, the American Dietetic Association has found that vegans have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.

For more information, please visit PETA's Web site GoVeg.com.

PETA's letter to Fox River Grove Middle School Principal Tim Mahaffy follows.
http://blog.peta.org/archives/BF_Letter_to_Mahaffy.pdf

September 7, 2007

Tim Mahaffy, Principal
Fox River Grove Middle School

1 page via fax: 847-516-9169

Dear Mr. Mahaffy,

On behalf of PETA and our more than 1.6 million members and supporters, I'm writing to express concern over the recent disciplinary actions taken against Dave Warwak, an art teacher at your school. According to news reports, Mr. Warwak was disciplined for informing children about the cruelty of the meat industry and the enormous health benefits of going vegetarian.

It's a sad day when a teacher is punished for telling students the truth: that by going vegetarian, they will dramatically improve their health while saving animals from cruelty so extreme that it would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges in the state of Illinois if the victims were dogs and cats rather than chickens, pigs, and cows. In a time of growing violence in schools, a teacher who is bringing a message of compassion should be applauded, not punished. Students in every school should have teachers like Mr. Warwak to tell them that the "chicken nuggets" they consume in the cafeteria were once living, breathing animals who were crammed into filthy sheds and pumped full of drugs before having their throats slit while they're still conscious.

Mr. Warwak was also apparently distributing copies of John Robbins' book The Food Revolution, which documents not only the cruelty of the meat industry but also the environmental and health benefits of a vegetarian diet. In these days of skyrocketing childhood obesity, we hope that Mr. Warwak's students will take the book's message to heart: According to the American Dietetic Association, a vegan diet is appropriate for all ages and vegans have lower rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity than meat-eaters do.

If you agree to allow Mr. Warwak to continue to discuss these important issues, PETA would be happy to donate "Compassion Care Packages" to every one of his students. These packages include a copy of The Food Revolution, a "Meet Your Meat" DVD (a factory farm expose viewable at Meat.org), and our free "Vegetarian Starter Kit" (downloadable at GoVeg.com).

Please let me know of your decision. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Bruce Friedrich
Vice President

Vegan teacher finding lots of support

Students at Fox River Grove Middle School may be able to get a free vegan meal and more, thanks to all the attention caused by the ousting of their art teacher.

Two animal rights groups have come to the defense of Dave Warwak, an art teacher who was sent home earlier this week for trying to teach his students about the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals sent Principal Tim Mahaffy a letter Friday criticizing the decision to dismiss Warwak after he distributed literature to faculty and students detailing the health benefits of a meat-free diet.

"In this case, the school was pushing commercial milk advertising on kids," said Bruce Friedrich, a vice president of outreach efforts for PETA. "The school was stamping its vote of support on a product that promotes cruelty to animals and harms children."

A vegan diet excludes not only meat but all products from animals.

In the letter, Friedrich offers the school district care packages that include a vegetarian starter kit, a book on veganism and a DVD expose on factory farming.

PETA also plans to honor Warwak by giving him the group's "compassionate educator" award, Friedrich said.

Mahaffy on Friday said he hadn't yet seen the PETA letter, but had no comment on Warwak's supporters.

School officials confirmed Warwack is still employed with the district. Warwak said he expects to meet with school officials Monday to discuss this week's incident and his future job status.

Nathan Runkle, executive director of Mercy for Animals, said the Chicago-based group also plans to send a letter to the school district in defense of Warwak.

Runkle said the letter will come with the group's own offer of a free vegan meal to the entire staff and school as a way to "ease the tension."

"We believe there would be no controversy if Mr. Warwak was talking about, let's say, the Michael Vick case and the cruelty of dog fighting," Runkle said. "I think his case shows there's a disconnect of what's considered cruel for animals considered pets versus those meant for human consumption."

As for Warwak, he said he's received hundreds of e-mails of support from across the country in the last few days since he was sent home.

"I thought I'd be out here alone in meat and dairy land," he said. "It would be a wonderful thing if the school district accepted these generous offers, but given the way they've resisted in the past, I don't see it happening."

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=33598