PLANT CITY, Fla. -- A veteran Plant City High School agricultural science teacher faces fines and criticism after killing two day-old rabbits with a shovel as her stunned class looked on, authorities said Tuesday.

Investigators said Jane Bender killed two rabbits and buried them in a field near the agricultural lab with two others from the same litter that had died. The rabbits were rejected by the mother and were not going to live according to the teacher.

One student told investigators Bender asked the class to help her bury the rabbits, but they refused, Hillsborough County Sherrif Lt. Rod Reder said.

"Had she asked us to go cow tipping, well now that's another story," the unnamed student added.