Lunch Lady Sacked for Giving a Student Free Lunch

DINNER lady sacked after she gave a pupil free food.

Bonnie Kimball, who had worked at Mascoma Valley Regional High School in New Hampshire, US for four years was accused of ‘theft’ by bosses.

She has since been offered her job back after school’s U-turn following public outcry – but she has rejected it, reports The Sun.

She had known the boy’s parents since they were children and was confident he would settle the $8 bill – which he did 24 hour later.

After seeing his empty account upon payment, the dinner lady had quietly told the boy: “tell your mom you need money”.

But she was still fired by the district manager of Fresh Picks, the food services company which hired her.

According to CNN, Bonnie – who had worked at the school for four years – was told: “Do you understand what you did was wrong? That was theft.”

The site reports she was let go because she had violated its procedures along with federal and school policies.

She received a letter which read: “A District Manager was on-site and witnessed a student coming through the line with multiple food items that you did not charge him for.

“This in strict violation of our Cash Handling Procedures, the Schools Charge Policy and Federal Regulation governing free meals.

“Your final has been processed and disbursed to you.”

However, in a U-turn, the company has offered to rehire the employee, provide her with back pay and would “work with the school district to revise policies and procedures regarding transactions”.

Speaking to ABC, she said: “I’m not bailing them out, I’m not gonna do it.

She said that she has no intention of returning to the company just so they could keep its contract.

“The school should bring on another vendor – one that will treat the children better.

“They’ll never have a kitchen crew like we were.

“We made those lunches with love.

“We weren’t just lunch ladies, we went above and beyond our job to make sure kids got what they wanted.”

Parents at the school were so upset over Kim’s sacking that they started a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than £5,267 ($9700au)

Did the company go too far?

Share your comments below

24 Comments

- - mom486197 said
  - 21 Oct 2023
    9:55 am
This really did go too far. She was only trying to help a child out. Glad to hear she got her job back though.

- - mom81879 said
  - 31 Oct 2019
    1:06 pm
Yes they went too far, but good to see she got her job back after huge public outcry. There isn’t enough good done in the world, it shouldn’t be punished when it happens

- - Ellen said
  - 24 Jun 2019
    7:49 am
Yes the company went to far. All she did was showing empathy for the boy by giving him the food items he choose, knowing his parents would pay.
Does the staff at Woolworths also get sacked when they hand out donets or whatever for free to the kids ?
However knowing the policy, she might have want to pay out of her own pocket till they paid.

- - Gwen2620 said
  - 21 Jun 2019
    2:18 pm
Shocking treatment particularly as the money was paid back within 24 hours. Our canteen has a book for just these times when the child has no lunch and a note is sent home to the parents if they are not contactable. A child cannot go without food!

- - DaffyD said
  - 29 May 2019
    10:46 am
How disgusting so the school would rather make money than look after their students

- - mom114371 said
  - 26 May 2019
    9:18 pm
She knew they would pay and they did. But my question is would the school have rathered the child starve? And what is their policy for when this happens?

- - serotonin said
  - 24 May 2019
    2:22 pm
She knew the parents would fix the bill which they did, so getting fired without a warning is way over the top and unfair. Their loss for sure.

- - rnash02 said
  - 21 May 2019
    9:01 pm
Way to far, the lady was only doing what any caring person would do.

- - mom350461 said
  - 21 May 2019
    2:35 pm
Too far. If it was me I’d do the same thing. How can you not give a child food?

- - BellaB said
  - 21 May 2019
    2:35 pm
Very wrong if it was a first “offence” – and more broadly, I think a bit of flexibility when it comes to making sure kids have food is a good thing.

- - mom265671 said
  - 20 May 2019
    10:38 pm
She didnt want a child left without food because it wasn’t the child’s fault,appalling

- - Blossom said
  - 20 May 2019
    9:40 pm
Initially it was probably a parent’s mistake. The lady stated that the account was empty. Maybe the parents sometimes pay in advance.

- - becstalou said
  - 20 May 2019
    8:05 pm
Seems extremely harsh in the circumstances. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone who worked with kids cared about them as much as this lady did.
- mom93821 replied
  
  22 May 2019 , 6:45 pm
  I agree – it shows a genuine care and concern for members of the school community.
- - ashna9 said
  - 20 May 2019
    7:15 pm
Yes the company went way too far.

- - mom93821 said
  - 20 May 2019
    6:25 pm
Good on her for having compassion and for standing her ground.

- - mom343701 said
  - 20 May 2019
    6:11 pm
gee that is cruel

- - mom74005 said
  - 20 May 2019
    4:25 pm
Where is their compassion? This woman should be rewarded for ensuring a child did not go without a meal. One Occassion is fair enough…

- - mom90758 said
  - 20 May 2019
    3:27 pm
They could have given her an admonishment. But firing her looks really too much to me.

- - Carly said
  - 20 May 2019
    2:17 pm
this is so sad that in this day and age a kind gesture is treated in this way. What a perfect thing to show the students

- - mom112217 said
  - 20 May 2019
    1:31 pm
A very kind hearted lady,she should have not been sacked!