School District Throws Kids’ Lunches Away

Kids’ lunches seized

One of Utah’s largest school districts, Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City, may have apologized for seizing approximately 40 students’ lunches and throwing them in the garbage, but that did not stem the furor created by the “inhumane” act.

Angry and shocked parents were among those who protested that the district should not have chosen to use that method in retaliation for there not being enough money in the children’s meal accounts and that kids should not be hungry, punished, embarrassed or humiliated in this way. Normally lunch staffers tell students about any balances due as they go through the line, and notifications to parents are sent home each week. However, in this case, cafeteria workers didn’t see which children owed money until they had already received lunches.

Parents had been notified of the negative balances, and a district child nutrition department manager came to the school and made the decision to withhold lunches as a way to deal with the issue. The meals were thrown away because food served to one student cannot be served to another. Children who had their lunches taken away were given milk and fruit.

On The Web:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57468293-78/lunches-olsen-lunch-district.html.csp

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/30/22504777-utah-school-district-apologizes-for-seizing-kids-lunches-for-unpaid-bills?lite