The principal and staff at Winona High School, Texas in the USA swallowed live goldfish in front of students to pay off a bet.
The struggling school had a state technical assistance team brought in as an emergency measure due to poor academic results so the principal, Leland Hand challenged the students to achieve 'exemplary' status academically.
To encourage the students towards this target he bizarrely offered that he and his staff would swallow a live goldfish each if this was achieved. The students subsequently became the only school in the county area to achieve exemplary status and so on October 1, 2010 the bet was honoured in front of the cheering pupils and a local news camera team.
Hand went on to praise his staff and students' efforts while commenting that the unfortunate goldfish 'tasted a lot like chicken'. It is not mentioned as to whether or not animal welfare is on the school curriculum but it seems unlikely.
A similar incident in the UK was covered by The Sun last month. Chris Caswell, 30, was filmed by friends swallowing a live goldfish fish after buying it in his local pet shop in County Durham. He was only caught when the footage appeared on the internet over a year later. He has been arrested by police on suspicion of animal cruelty before being released. If he is later charged and convicted, UK law allows a jail sentence of up to six months and a maximum fine of £20,000.
