School lobster prank is ‘mean, not funny’ — NJ teacher using it as a lesson

MAPLEWOOD — A science teacher at Columbia High School couldn't save the life of a lobster that had been placed in a toilet as a prank, but she refuses to let the creature die in vain.

Amy Biasucci, who teaches environmental science and AP biology at the high school, said a prank last week that has caused students and the community to crack jokes is actually no laughing matter.

"We had a gilled, saltwater organism that, while it was in a toilet bowl, was in water that can cause its cells to misshapen," Biasucci said. "That is mean, not funny."

So she plans to use the lobster as a lesson in the new year.

The lobster is on ice

Principal Frank Sanchez and the high school's custodians brought the lobster to Biasucci's classroom when it was discovered in a school bathroom, the school district said.

Biasucci attempted to save its life by putting it into a tank of water that she had salted to a concentration that's more hospitable for a crustacean. But the lobster died, as the custodians and her students looked on, according to the school district.

Instead of discarding the lobster, Biasucci took it home and put it in her freezer.

Biasucci, who has been teaching at the school since 2009, plans to use the lobster in January for a dissection and teach her students a lesson about the need of certain organisms to maintain a balance of water and salt in their bodies.

The school principal and acting superintendent both commended Biasucci for her response to the situation and her plan to use the prank as a teachable moment.

"If we have more respect for living beings in general, we might actually save ourselves," Biasucci said. "Kids make mistakes. It's our job to make sure everybody learns from their mistakes."

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