Community Corner

School Dumps Lunch for Kids Behind on Payments

Elementary students at a Salt Lake City school faced humiliation and empty stomachs earlier this week when their food was taken and thrown out. The reason? Their parents were behind on payments.

Brian Slupski, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
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By Joanna Schneider

The scenario is a horrifying one for parents everywhere:

You’ve forgotten to make a payment to your child’s school for their daily lunch, or didn’t realize a payment was due. Maybe things are tight at home and you’re not able to cover lunch costs.

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Your child arrives at their school lunch room, is served, and then told they can’t keep their lunch because their account is overdue. Their food is dumped in the garbage. 

That’s exactly what happened to 40 students at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City, whose lunches were snatched by a child-nutrition manager, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

A spokesman for the school shared an explanation and apology Wednesday, but many parents remained shocked, upset and understandably protective of their children. 

“It was pretty traumatic and humiliating," Erica Lukes, mom of an 11-year-old whose cafeteria lunch was seized, told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I think it’s despicable," she said. "These are young children that shouldn’t be punished or humiliated for something the parents obviously need to clear up."

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What do you think? Did the school act inappropriately? How would you feel if this happened to your child at school? Sound off in the comments, head over to our boards or post a blog of your own!

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