A group of North Carolina students were stunned by the treatment of their classmate in the school cafeteria. When 15-year-old Dominic Russell went to get his school lunch at Madison County High School, a cafeteria worker demanded he throw his tray away.
The reason? Russell owed $26 in lunch debt, but he said he had no idea he ever owed the school any money.
“I was in the hole $26, I think. And I had already gotten my lunch and walked back to the table,” said Russell. “And then they came and got me, and made me go back up and throw it away."
Russell refused to throw his lunch tray away; he didn't want to waste food. A classmate snapped a photo of him, and other students began to protest in the cafeteria.
They began to chant "Let Him Eat" in support and held up signs. While the rule had been in place for years, the students say the school had never before enforced it.
Russell eventually just paid for his meal that day, but he thinks that is irrelevant. Students at a public school shouldn't be denied lunch over a few bucks.
However, the school insists that students are notified of their debt at around $15, and at that point school officials have the right to enforce the policy.
Do you think children at public schools are entitled to free meals? Let us know in the comments!
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