Middle School Lunch Lady Gives Hungry Student a Free Meal, Gets Fired for ‘Stealing’

Daily Blaze ^ | December 23, 2015 | Kaitlyn Schallhorn

[Zakeet]

When a middle school student came to Dalene Bowden and said she was hungry but didn't have the $1.70 to pay for her meal, the food service worker didn't think twice.

She gave her the meal for free.

Bowden's supervisor at Irving Middle School saw the cafeteria worker's deed and reported her. Last week Bowden received a certified letter from the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District in Pocatello, Idaho, that informed her of she was terminated from her job due to theft and "inaccurate transactions when ordering, receiving and servicing food."

[cincinnati65]

I realize that, but it’s still not mine to give away.

[higgmeister]

I live in a district in KY where probably 20 or 30 percent of the people have their housing, food, electric bills, health insurance, Obama phones, and G-d knows what else paid for by you and me. I believe this comes to ca. 40 K a year! Half the kids get ”free“ lunches at school...and breakfasts too! Mom can't cook, because she's sleeping until 11 and then sitting on her 300 lb ass, eating snackies, and watching her ”stories“ until the kids come home.

Didn't I see this in a movie?

[faithhopecharity]

Good!

(and for whatever its worth, do please note that my comment led off with the statement that her not putting the $1.70 in the till was WRONG.... it therefore appears you’ve mixed my comment up with someone else’s)

Merry Christmas!

[RandallFlagg]

The stories I’ve seen on Facebook about this aren’t very detailed if she was paying for these meals out of her own pocket or not.

[chaosagent]

The article said she offered to pay the money back later.

Again, maybe because she didn’t have any money on her then?

My wife never carries any money on here except in her purse.

Maybe the same with the lunch lady?

[chaosagent]

The article said she offered to pay the money back later.

Again, maybe because she didn’t have any money on her then?

My wife never carries any money on here except in her purse.

Maybe the same with the lunch lady?

[Idaho_Cowboy]

Wrong to not just put the $1.70 in the till. Firing however is a grossly unfair way to treat her...........IMHO. Merry Christmas, Idaho! ( remember? )

---

Hey we hang people for stealing out here! You can't just give away stuff that doesn't belong to you.

[Idaho_Cowboy]

If I went and collected unused laptops at my work and gave them to a local elementary school without my employer’s permission, I would expect to be fired. Why should this be any different?

---

It’s one of these “we know what you are, were just negotiating the price” things. Some people think its okay if you steal just a little bit.

[faithhopecharity]

stealing is wrong.
we agree.
we just don’t agree that taking her job away is appropriate for this offense

certainly some more ‘proportionate’ penalty could have been found?

Merry Christmas,
fhc

[TangoLimaSierra]

In sum, you're fired.
Sincerely, Your Boss

PS Merry Christmas Happy Federal Holiday

[roamer_1]

Wrong to not just put the $1.70 in the till. Firing however is a grossly unfair way to treat her

Right on. She is certainly accountable - But there is the matter of the seriousness of the charge - The actual actionable damage. This does not rate getting fired. It probably doesn't even rate official reprimand. This is more like a friendly talking-to, restitution, and making sure everyone knows the official policy and protocols kind-of-thing.

If it becomes a habit, that's a different story.

[dfwgator]

How about we go back to parents packing their kids’ own damn lunches.

[faithhopecharity]

Agreed.
we need to uphold ethics and morals
but it is not ethical nor moral to levy such harsh disproportionate penalties (and yes, I say the same thing to Moslems with their dangerous, krappy Islamic Sharia “law”)

[Secret Agent Man]

If people knew how much school lunch food gets thrown out every day, everyone knows this was not about the $1.70.

[karatemom]

Thank you and the same to you and yours!!!

[CPT Clay]

somebody post the crowdfunding site.

[JimRed]

But giving away someone else’s property in the name of “charity” is not charity, it’s theft.

Tell that to congress! They take from us every day to give to those who did not earn it.

[JimRed]

The kid knew he didn’t have money and if the parents didn’t give him money why didn’t they give him a sack lunch?

Are sack lunches even legal anymore?

[Frank_2001]

“Any notion that a liberal program is based on compassion rather than money ought to be dashed by this perfect illustration.”

There really IS no such thing as a free lunch!;)