Lunches seized from kids in debt at Salt Lake City school

[WI_DEM]

Up to 40 kids at Uintah Elementary in Salt Lake City picked up their lunches Tuesday, then watched as the meals were taken and thrown away because of outstanding balances on their accounts — a move that shocked and angered parents.

"It was pretty traumatic and humiliating," said Erica Lukes, whose 11-year-old daughter had her cafeteria lunch taken from her as she stood in line Tuesday at Uintah Elementary School, 1571 E. 1300 South...

But cafeteria workers weren’t able to see which children owed money until they had already received lunches, Olsen explained.

The workers then took those lunches from the students and threw them away, he said, because once food is served to one student it can’t be served to another.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/57468293-78/lunches-olsen-lunch-district.html.csp

[rbixby]

1. How Dickensian

I'd think that in this day and age we could provide a nutritious meal to children regardless of their ability to pay for it. I just wonder how much more would it cost in property taxes to provide a free meal to all children who want one.

[PowerToThePeople]

2. Are you fucking serious?

Someone needs to beat these people hard, tar, feather, then put them on a rail out of town...

[elleng]

3. and these were cafeteria workers,

who were ? under orders ? and maybe afraid about losing their jobs if they didn't do this awful thing???

[madashelltoo]

4. This is disgusting on one of the lower rungs.

And, if their parents showed up and showed out they would be called all kinds of wrong. How do you muster that kind of nasty to do that children?

[alsame]

5. As a society, we have

reached a level of depravity I never thought I'd see.

Literally taking food out of the mouths of children. I can't even wrap my brain around that.

[WI_DEM]

6. I agree.

[TBF]

7. RandySF posted it yesterday -

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024412684

Just wanted to let you know in case you wondered why you didn't have more recs (it may have even been posted before that because I think 70+ recs is paltry for this topic).

It's very important to see that so many are ambivalent about this. We are treating our poor children terribly in this country.