Little kids in school have to handle quite a lot for their tender ages. As adults in a learning environment, its only right that we make the kids feel safe and comfortable as best as we can. Which is why what happened to little Anya Howard not just tasteless but very heartbreaking.
The six-year-old was trying to get lunch from her school cafeteria when she was ‘lunch-shamed’ for not having enough money in her account.
Anya had picked up a tray of hot food, but was told to put it down as she did not have enough funds for the $2.25 lunch.
Now, not giving the kids free food has been heard of before, but making them feel ashamed in front of their peers for not having lunch money is a whole different thing!
Unfortunately, that’s what happened to Anya Howard. Anya and another student were pulled from the lunch line in front of 20 other children and told to get to the back as they would be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
“They were laughing at us,” Anya revealed, talking about her other classmates.
Anya’s grandfather is now aiming to tackle the system of lunch-shaming by demanding they review the policies put in place by district administrators. “When she was talking to me about it, she was more than ‘sad’. I mean, that’s embarrassing for a little six-year-old.” Dwight Howard said.
Howard revealed that no reminder was sent out to inform Anya’s family that her account was low as the district policy states.
“They waited until there was a dime left, denied her the opportunity to eat lunch that she had, and then she had to go to the end of the line to wait for a PB&J.” Howard said.
An adult embarrassing and humiliating a child in any way in front of their peers because they do not have money for a meal is utterly despicable.
Do you think Anya was treated unfairly? Share your opinion with us in the comments box below.