The lunch police have struck again. First, there was the story of a preschooler at West Hoke Elementary School in North Carolina who was given a highly processed, cafeteria lunch containing pink slime chicken nuggets because the school decided that the turkey and cheese sandwich, banana, potato chips, and apple juice her mother packed was not nutritious enough.
Now comes the story of an elementary school boy from Newport Beach, California who was suspended from school this week for the kombucha in his lunchbox that school administration said violated the school district’s drug and alcohol policy.
The boy’s mother contacted me 2 days ago the very afternoon her son was suspended in a plea to help her resolve the situation.
The trouble apparently started because the kombucha drink was packed in a glass bottle which is the appropriate container for this healthy, vitamin and probiotic filled beverage. The mother even took care to safely place the glass bottle in a foam sleeve as I’ve demonstrated in my videos which is exactly what I do for my own children so that if the bottle is dropped, it would not break and cause harm. It is important to note that the mother had sent kombucha to school in her son’s lunch many times before with no problem.
When the lunch police noticed the glass bottle safely tucked into the foam sleeve in the child’s lunchbox, they confiscated it. The next morning, the boy was called into the Vice Principal’s office and interrogated about the drink and where he got it. The school even called in the Police Officer assigned to work with all the schools in the area.
The Police Officer told the boy that the kombucha was illegal and very dangerous if he takes any medications – antibiotics or anything. Then, the officer asked the boy point blank if he takes any medicines.
Most outrageously, the Vice Principal told the boy that he may have to transfer out of that school and that she was looking into it. She even tried to enroll him in an alcoholics class for teens! The boy ended up spending the entire day in the school office and then was suspended for 5 days for violating the school’s drug and alcohol policy. The issue was also reported to the Newport-Mesa School District. Lest the school or the district deny the child was suspended or try to spin the story, the boy did indeed SIGN a 5 day suspension form.
It is important to note that these events took place without the school even attempting to test the alcoholic content of the kombucha or conducting due diligence of any kind which would have revealed that kombucha is a healthy beverage similar to apple cider and clearly not the equivalent of beer or wine.
The child’s distraught mother managed to get a meeting with the school’s Vice Principal the next morning who informed her that the Principal had decided to retract the suspension and not pursue the issue further. The child was then immediately allowed to return to school.
Unfortunately, the incident had already been reported to the Newport-Mesa school district so it is possible that the parents of the boy could face additional disciplinary action if the school district decides to pursue the matter.
The worst aspect of this incident is the extreme embarrassment, emotional trauma and shame the child no doubt experienced for being called out by the lunch police and then interrogated like a criminal the next day by school administration and even a uniformed Police Officer!
When I talked to the Vice Principal on the phone yesterday, she acted as if the incident was minor and that everything had been resolved satisfactorily. What? Giving a child the third degree in the school office with a Police Officer standing by and no parent present to defend him is no minor scene!
This incident could have far reaching implications for the child’s emotional state and could even result in bullying or snide remarks from classmates for years to come!
For all you traditional cooking Moms and Dads out there who also send healthy homemade foods and drinks in your child’s lunch, it may prove worthwhile to have a discussion with your children about this story and what to do should school administration ever harass them about the contents of their lunchbox.
I will keep tabs on this story in the coming days and if the Newport-Mesa School District decides to do something ridiculous like pursue disciplinary action against this family, I will be sure to let you all know so that the phone lines can light up and public pressure exerted to restore sanity to the situation.
**Update: Following the publishing of this article, the Newport-Mesa School District issued a press release regarding this incident. Click here for the full transcript and rebuttal.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Abbi, they didn’t interogate (sic) a preschooler….they took his home lunch away and gave him chicken. It was an elementary student who was questioned. Before you call people idiots, it would be wise to get your facts straight.
I can’t believe they interogated a preschooler like he was a college grad! how the hell is he supposed to know what they were talking about? all that kid probably knew is a police officer was going to take him to jail over her drink. I mean your a little kid, the grown ups take your drink, sad its bad, and ask if you are on medications and how the hell are you suposed to know? and they want you to leave school and go to a place with teenagers and a police officer is in the room, are you going to jail? oh no!
this is beyond stupid. you don’t talk to a little kid like he’s a grownup. thats why parents sign contact sheets. “hello mam’n we don’t know much about kombucha and the glass bottle scares us, and we think its some kind of alcohol, by the way is he on antibiotics?”
geeze people are idiots.
IMHO BC is a leftist troll.
All trolls are leftists. Only rightwingers are pure, racially and ideologically. Take your child out of those communistic mixed race schools and keep them from mixing with minorities and other undesirable types. All public school officials are fascists!
All governmeet workers are commies. The global elite of Rothschild bankers controls you local public schools. Thomas Jefferson said that public education will be the ruin of democracy, which is why his proudest achievement was the fouinding of the University Virginia.
The 90% who go to public schools are brainwashed. That is why they all vote Democrat. Or at least that is what I am hearing on this forum.
Can’t tell if sarcasm, or just really stupid.
I’m not a leftist?? im smack dab in the middle! And proud of it! If this site has taught me anything, those on the fringe, left nor right, are nuts! But that’s just my troll opinion. ;0)
Glad I homeschool, but I better prepare my daughter for these situations because she does bring kombucha with her to softball and basketball games!
The mom and child should forget being angry and sue the &%*( out of the school, principal, and police officer involved. They should put a video on the internet describing everything that happened and we should all help spread it. The principal’s contact information should be given and he/she should be removed. The tyrants will do things like this as long as they know they can. Ordinary citizens must tell them they CAN’T.
In my career as a public school teacher, I found that the administration ovesrreacted precisely because of parents constantly threatening to sue them over minor issues. As a result, they react defensively. Those making the threats are the ones causing the
behavior they are whining about.
Schools, like corporations or families, make mistakes. You can fix a mistake without suing someone (making them even more paranoid or calling them a Nazi.
And calling someone who disagrees a leftist troll is clearly bigotry, as it substitutes a prejudiced stereotype for a counterargument. Working with the schools achieves far more than making threats and spewing hate-speech. Schools are still locally run. If you don’t like the Board, elect new members. If you disagree with a school’s policy, talk with them about it. No one has ever been persuaded by being called a Nazi.
Go Dale! Go Go! :0)
<<<Schools, like corporations or families, make mistakes. You can fix a mistake without suing someone
Not in my experience. (regarding public school officials).
I've tried that. Suing is the only thing these public school officials understand to get them to quit being so abusive by suspending and arresting innocent students.
When did it become against the law to have your own natural colored hair you were born with???
That is discrimination based on race (genetics).
although the public schols then claim it's not discrimination aginst race. They didn't suspend the school for his/her race (genetics), they suspended him/her for having a hair color at school the rules say aren't allowed it at school.
That it doesn't matter if it's his/her natural undyed hair, It's still a prohibited hair color.
Oh yeah, and dying your hair any color (blonde, brown, etcetera) is also against the school rules since dyed hair isn't allowed period. Wearing a wig is also against the school rules. Shaving all your hair off (the only other way these pareents and kids with prohibited natural hair can think of to obey the rule) is also against the school rules and prohibited and also gets them suspended.
so just exactly what are these kids whose natural hair and natural hair color are progibited and against school rules supposed to do???????
Despite what the public schools claim, that IS indeed discrimination based on genetics. (race).
though they claim it isn't since there's other kids of the same race who don't have that hairr color naturally.
Yes it IS discrimination based on genetics.
I’m not sure I get the people on this site! Yes there are reasons to home school. And yes there are countless schools that are bad but its the way that you all assume that every parent is a good responsible teacher. All parents aren’t created equal. It seems that by the posts here that every home schooler is gonna grow up and cure cancer?! I said this earlier but for every well mannered thoughtful-beyond-their-years home schooled kid I’ve met, I have also met an equal number of socially inept, undisciplined idiots who’s parents think they’re little darlings. And did I mention the Creationism freaks among your ranks?? I’m sure most of you are doing right by your children just as I believe most schools are doing right by their students. But this alternate universe you live in where communist have taken over our schools and are brainwashing our children and feeding them Twinkies for lunch, borders on crazy! I also said this earlier but it bears repeating. There are many reasons why a parent would choose to home school, so I am not lumping everyone in the same group. But to those who stated that their reasoning for taking their kid out of public schools, is because of people like the principle, you are as big an idiot as the guy in the article! I’ve found that most people home schooled or public school educated seem to think they are smarter than they are! If they didn’t do so well in school, the school is broken. If they don’t do well on tests, the tests are skewed. If they had disciplinary problems, they school doesn’t understand creative types. Dumb people are dumb, and smart people are smart! Where you are schooled may help you better utilize those skills but it won’t change person underneath. But hey since you live in this bubble of yours, there’s probably no one there to tell you how stupid you sound!
BC you sound very frustrated over an exchange that should have been very simple. There are good home schoolers, parents and public schools, and there are bad home schoolers, parents and public schools. A difference of opinions. You speak against stereotyping and “lumping” people into categories but that’s what you have done in reference to not getting the people on this site. Sad how someone who is an adult can’t communicate in a respectful manor at least in writing where you are provided the opportunity to stop, think about it, and proof read you’re responses. “Creationist freaks?!” Very disrespectful wether you are the product of a private, public, or home schooling setting.
Did you proofread this response? My tone has been disrespectful. To those who have been disrespectful.(Except for a tin foil hat comment) If you believe in creationism…. yes I lump you with birthers, those who believe Armageddon is just around the corner(every year it seems the world is about to end), those who think Christ was Jesus’s last name, those who believe George Bush brought down the towers, those who think the moon landing was fake and yes, even those who still think the world is flat. Is that disrespectful? Maybe, but I find the whole creationism thing disrespectful. Science and religion aren’t enemy’s. You can be a devout Christian and still believe in science.
You insulted me(but in such a nice way), but I should refrain from commenting in kind??
I will resist because now no one else is commenting and I’ve been stuck in a conference room for the last two weeks. At first I just found the comments hilarious and was having a little fun(and I’m still having fun). But the amount of people who wanted to engage was overwhelming and if you check out some of their post, you might find a few things that might be construed as offensive. I did make several generalizations, sometimes to prove a point, and at others times just to tease the other person. If you were offend by that, I apologize. I WAS WRONG! But I stand by the points I was making.
PS- I can’t believe I’m the only one here commenting via cell phone. Do you have any idea how hard it is to scroll up in a box no bigger than a centimeter, then try to poke at the place you want to correct with fat fingers. Sheeesh! And yes, i’m sure sheeesh is spelled incorrectly. :0)
You are all over he place. Why does my religious belief have anything to do with Kambucha being served in public schools and what has happened to this little boy? Or if I think some of your comments have been rude and disrespectful? Seems like you just like to debate. I’m sorry, but I honestly, just am not going to make the time for it and their would be no purpose in it. My mind wouldn’t be changed. Would yours? In response to above, I am a Christian, who believes in Jesus Christ (not really sure what kind of CHRISTian doesn’t??) and I also believe in science. I’ve seen it prove my beliefs over and over again. I personally find the belief that NOTHING exploded and created everything, or magic space rain rained on rocks for millions or years leading to the creation of everything we have today, disrespectful. So I guess me must agree to disagree. Happy blogging. 🙂
I think you mean ” Jesus’ ” (plural possessive) and “enemies” (more than one) not “enemy’s” (belonging to the enemy.) There’s a great book, “Strunk and White” that does a great job of explaining English usage. The better people understand you, the easier it will be to change the world for the better! (Sent from my iPhone, BTW.)
Now post 40 times. Then we can talk. But that was a pretty clever post. Short but witty. I’m guessing people understood. They just don’t like what I’m saying. I like the BTW too. ;0)
MK you are right. I won’t change your mind and you won’t change mine. I do luv to debate, but I’m not sure that’s what we were doing. But I do have good news for everyone here! I have been freed from my conference room jail! So say good night to the bad guy! I am now having a stiff drink. Feel free to talk about me when I’m gone, because I know I’m talking about you. This has been highly entertaining and informative! I now have a few good books to read(once I learn how to read). I got advice on grammar and I received a science lesson from a creationist. Not a bad week after all! I will leave you with a little somethin’ somethin’ my mother used to tell me. If you can’t openly state and discuss your opinion out of fear of ridicule, then maybe it’s time to question what you believe. An opinion that can’t stand up to scrutiny or ridicule, isn’t an opinion worth having. Have a blessed one. :0)
You asked a question in a post above and I didn’t respond rudely. And you should proof your own posts before criticizing mine. Principle vs principal. I made the same mistake and I’m going to give you the benefit of doubt, and assume while typing, you missed the “a” and auto correct changed it for you.
And I have never been very good at turning the other cheek.
I attended public schools through college and also taught special eductation in publicschools. I think students need both a socialized educational setting (there is nothing like a good discussion with students from various backgrounds or opinions to stimulate the desire to learn more and sharpen critical thinking skills and expressive ability) and homeschooling.
My public education, from very humble schools, which gave me the ability to succeed at the excellent University of California at Berkeley, gave me the skills and knowledge to earn a fellowship to Harvard Graduate School of Government. At the same time, I always learned from my brothers and parents at home. One of my kids is a college graduate; the other opted out in his first year of high school. Both are successful, with the dropout now running a successful small corporation.
Those who trash public education often don’t know what they are talking about, as they lump all schools and teachers together. There are many excellent public schools, and many bad ones, just as there are many sincere homeschooling parents and some who do a bad job. The sad fact is that schools reflect the communities they serve; in poor, trashed communities, the schools tend to be chaotic; in affluent communities, the schools often are at an elite private school level. Believe me, I have taught in both.
One of the great advantages of public (or private) schools is the exposure to excellent teachers. In my life, my great inspirations were a few teachers who motivated me to excell and reach for the stars. I had some bad teachers too. But the lasting influence were those extraordinary teachers who gave me encouragement and spurred my educational aspirations.
There is no war between public education, which Jefferson saw as the foundation of democracy, and homeschooling, which utilizes the passion of interested parents to educate their kids. Often the reason for homeschooling is religion; I don’t see why you can’t learn algebra or physics (which few parents are qualifed to teach) at school and learn religion in church and at home. The public education scene allows students to mix and learn from others of different religions, backgrounds, etc. This exposure to diversity, lacking in exclusive home schooling, is one of the great virtues of public education and is the reason that it is the keystone of a democratic society.
I live here in Newport Beach and my son goes to here as well. My brother sends me these types of government invasive tactic kind of emails often. I couldn’t believe that it was in Newport. I don’t know…it’s always shocking when it happens in your own backyard. I am facebooking this and letting every Mom I see know about it!