The Anti-Spirit of Christmas

According to news reports, last week food service worker Dalene Bowden was placed on leave after giving a free lunch to a hungry 12-year old student with no money. Reportedly, students are given an $11 charge limit, after which they are still provided something to eat like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but not any of the main entrees or other regular food items. Parents are notified when the $11 limit is reached.Obviously Dalene failed to follow policy, but I don't think it's right to put a minimum wage lunch lady on the front lines of taking a student's tray away and dumping it (school policy, according to Dalene). If reports are accurate, who could look at the senselessness of the policy (the food is going to be thrown away anyway) and deny a hungry student that food. Not me, and not most people I would reckon.I hope the school reinstates Dalene and changes their policy. Let an administrator deal with lunch charge balances greater than $11 - don't make it the lunch lady's responsibility.Articles: --Percy

But let us note the truly amazing consistency, even at Christmastime. Scrooge would be proud!--Percy

I opened this thread to bring attention to a misdeed that made a victim of a person who had compassion for a blameless child, not to serve as an opportunity for the perpetually offended to find something to be offended about.I felt that a policy making lunch ladies the enforcement arm for a policy of shaming and denial of food was wrong, and expressed the hope that it be changed. From what I can tell, all our sympathies lie in that direction. I hope that any further discussion concentrates not on inappropriately expressed feelings about fellow members, but on the topic and related issues, and is generous in the spirit of the season.--Percy

In today's news: Dalene Bowden, Idaho Cafeteria Worker Fired Over Hungry Student's Free Meal, Offered Job BackThe article reports something probably most people suspected, that not charging a student wasn't the first or only incident (according to the school district), but they did say something I was happy to hear: "In the spirit of the holidays..."The school district apparently wasn't specific about the other incidents. If they were primarily related to requiring lunch ladies to enforce their unfair policy then the district hasn't a leg to stand on, but there's no way to know.--Percy

And going beyond the specific situation described in the article, I think most people would agree that even if the school had done an excellent job of informing parents, depriving children of a proper lunch is not an appropriate enforcement method.--Percy