Mom -vs- public school

[momof_three]

I have a 7 year old daughter who attends a public school. I have had issues with her teacher from the second day of school. This teacher is into "healthy" living. I pack a lunchbox for my child and nearly everyday her teacher will go through her lunch and remove items that she feels are "unhealthy" and make her eat the things she has brought in for her own lunch, carrotts, grapes, rice cakes etc... she will also take her drinks as well, and allow her to get one drink from the drinking fountain in the cafeteria. I have spoken with the teacher, principal and the school board and have gotten no where with them. Can she legally do this?

 

[irish223]

I'm just a registered user like you, but I am also a teacher. I'm shocked by your story! Does the teacher admit doing this, or are the principal and school board taking her word over your daughter's?

I don't know what state you live in, but I believe that districts that receive Title I funds have to have a 'Wellness Policy' in place. The policy covers school lunches and any other food that students can purchase. The policies do not apply to food that students bring for their own consumption.

The only plausible excuse I can imagine has to do with food allergies. If there is a student in your daughter's class that is allergic to peanuts, then perhaps the teacher removes any foods that could cause an allergic reaction. We are, and have to be, very careful in those situations. Have you been informed of any allergy issues in the classroom?

 

[momof_three]

I live in North Carolina and have not been told of any allergy issues. The teacher is just very into health living. The teacher has admitted to taking food away to the principal but uses the excuse of the wellness policy. I have not gotten anywhere with the school board or principal. I am at my wits end as to what is should do.

 

[seniorjudge]

I live in North Carolina and have not been told of any allergy issues. The teacher is just very into health living. The teacher has admitted to taking food away to the principal but uses the excuse of the wellness policy. I have not gotten anywhere with the school board or principal. I am at my wits end as to what is should do.

Tell your local paper that this teacher is stealing food from your kid.:no:

 

[irish223]

I think this is the site for the North Carolina Wellness Policy guidelines:

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cach...policy&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us&client=safari

As in Illinois, the policy only refers to food that is sold or provided by the school. I don't understand why the principal and school board allow the teacher to do this. Is your daughter trying to share her food? Could the teacher be taking it from her at that point? It's still not right, but the teacher might use that as an excuse that the principal would accept. Or, is it possible that the principal is building a case to fire the teacher and using these incidents to make his paper trail? At any rate, what does the principal tell you about it?

Seniorjudge has a good idea. Does she send the lunch items home at the end of the day? If not, then she really is stealing. Maybe the police would intervene. The only other suggestion I have is to go to your daughter's school at lunchtime. You have the right to visit your child's classroom whenever you want, but you may have to schedule it before going. You can observe the lunch routine, and prevent the teacher from changing the lunch. You can also send letters of complaint every time it happens to the school board, the superintendent, and the principal, and make lots of complaining phone calls. The squeaky wheel often gets the grease in school districts.

Good Luck.