Mom Demands School Go Peanut-Free For Allergic Child

[MADem]

399. Peanut butter is poor folks' food. But this isn't about "peanut butter."

It's about the moisturizer you use, the stuffing in that hackysack, what oil those chips you put in your kid's lunch were fried in, that burger bun that was made on equipment that also processes peanuts...do you really expect a school to "certify" that they are peanut free? That every single employee, every single parent, every single child is going to read every label for every single product they use to accommodate one child? That they are going to "promise" that the breakfast croissant that the school secretary had on the way into work wasn't made with peanut oil?

Supposedly, "peanut dust" can kill this kid. Peanut dust is everywhere.

It is just not reasonable to expect the level of assurance sought in this instance. "Reasonable accommodation" is sending home a letter to the parents of the kids in the kid's class asking parents to be careful because there is a sufferer in their child's class, and giving the kid a safe place to have lunch, and keeping his epi-pen handy. Not demanding that everyone eschew peanut products--which is damn near impossible.

Peanut shells or skins may be used in:

Artificial fireplace logs
Fiber roughage for livestock feed
Kitty litter
Paper
Stuffing for beanbags or stuffed animals
Wallboard

Peanuts themselves may be ingredients in:

Axle grease
Bird seed
Bleach
Cosmetics
Detergent
Explosives
Face creams
Ink
Linoleum
Medicine
Metal polish
Pet food
Paint
Rubber
Shampoo
Shaving cream
Soap

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/nutallergies/a/Peanut-Products-23-Surprising-Non-Food-Peanut-Products.htm


The mother needs to take her kid to an immunologist and just get him desensitized. There's a brand new protocol, just out this year, that works in 2/3 of cases. They're working on another protocol, still in trials, that might work on a larger population but involves immunosuppressants, but the one that is out there and covered by insurance takes a few months but will do the trick in many cases.

It's not that the burden is "too large," the burden that this woman wants the school to assume is IMPOSSIBLE. Unless they send storm troopers to toss every student and employee home, to throw out anything with peanuts in it, and monitor everyone 24-7 to insure they don't ingest peanut products and bring the "peanut dust" into the school on their clothing. Mother wants the school to certify that the place is peanut free, and then, when it isn't, as it can't be, and the kid has a reaction, she is in the "sue them blue" catbird seat.