By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
School blasted for 'sandwich of shame' policy aimed to collect lunch debts
10275295faafc1a0fb8a2e869696f2efc5866f771f4e210304e700c05e4eb236
An Indiana high school is under fire for serving students who owe money on their lunch accounts a so-called sandwich of shame. - photo by Jessica Ivins
KOKOMO, Indiana An Indiana high school is under fire for serving students who owe money on their lunch accounts a so-called sandwich of shame.

According to the new lunch policy at Kokomo High School, students who owe more than $25 are served a cheese sandwich two slices of bread with two pieces of cheese in between instead of the daily fare offered at the cafeteria, according to Today. While the school informed parents and students of the change last year, it only recently began enforcing the rule.

The policy grabbed the attention of students, parents and strangers alike when a student posted a picture of the sandwich on Facebook. Sierra Feitl was handed one of the sandwiches after being informed she owed $25.60.

I was sitting there thinking, 'Do I have enough money? Am I going to be able to get this tray? Is everyone going to see and wonder why I cant get a normal tray, too?' she told Today.

Fietls post has been shared hundreds of times and sparked outrage in parents and students who believe humiliation is not the answer when it comes to collecting debts, especially with children.

Making a spectacle out of a child or even a young adult in front of their peers because they didnt pay (whether it was their parents fault or their own for not being responsible enough to inform their parents of the dip in their account) is ridiculous, wrote one commenter.

In response to the outcry, the school district apologized for offending people with the new policy, but argues nearly 500 students have outstanding balances on their lunch accounts resulting in $50,000 in debt for the school, Today reports.

That kind of debt puts the school at risk for losing federal funding. Additionally, the district claims just 10 percent of the kids who owe money on their accounts come from low-income families, and they qualify for lunch assistance.

Some of these people on the list, Im sorry, are making $100,000 a year, Kokomo Schools communication director David Barnes told Today. Family of four, and have a debt over $100. Im sorry, these people need to pay their bills.

Some Facebook commenters seem to agree with the districts argument.

I find it ridiculous that everyone is blaming the school for this instead of the parents, wrote one user. Parents are notified when their kids lunch accounts are negative. Theres no excuse for not paying for your childs lunch.

The district is giving parents until next month to pay off debts before they start serving the cheese sandwiches again, and while the policy has made quite a few enemies, it seems to be working.

So far, parents have coughed up about $15,000, Today reports.
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
ce406c66b9871a104ac24256a687e4821d75680dcfc89d9e5398939543f7f88f
A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
Latest Obituaries