A February morning in 2017 started out as any other at Killeen Independent School District in Central Texas.
Substitute teacher Kelvin Holt led his class of pre-kindergarten students into the cafeteria to receive their breakfasts. Among the students was a young Latina girl who was looking to get her meal when all of a sudden she shuffled toward the back of the line.
Kelvin was a former military veteran who decided to become a substitute teacher once he retired.
Once the little girl in Kelvin’s class made it to the front of the lunch line, he observed her being told by the cashier that she didn’t have enough money on her meal card. The cafeteria worker then proceeded to nastily snatch back the girl's carton of milk and throw the 4-year-old’s entire tray of food into the garbage in front of everyone.
Kelvin was in utter disbelief at what he had just witnessed. The little girl proceeded to walk away sobbing with nothing to eat as her fellow students snickered at her bad luck.
The teacher was initially mad at the cashier for her behavior toward the little girl, but upon further reflection, Kelvin realized that he’d seen lunch shaming become a huge problem in the state of Texas.
Lunch shaming happens in a lot of states where there isn’t a free meal program at school. When some kids run out of money on their prepaid meal cards, they often face discrimination from their peers and teachers — and even go hungry.
Feeling motivated, Kelvin decided to start a petition that would stop schools from removing meals from hungry children.
To learn even more about lunch shaming, check out the video by Wonderbot.
