Teacher Refuses To Let Girl Eat, Mom Makes Them Pay
Taking Action
It was so cold that her knuckles turned white as she gripped the lunch bag tightly.
As she stood in the kitchen, her body was frozen.
The mother watched her daughter cry as she ate a snack at the counter after school.
Her mind was blown by the idea that the school could do something like that.
In order to prevent this from happening again, she knew she had to take action.
Frantic Rushing
YouTube/ABC 10 News
Leeza Pearson knew she had to hurry and get her daughter’s lunch ready but needed her cup of coffee first.
Every day started with a frantic rush to leave the house and everything else throughout the day was a mad rush too.
As busy as it was, there was one reason why she wouldn’t change a thing.
Her Children
YouTube/ABC 10 News
Leeza adored her kids and had no idea where in life she would be without them.
They were the best part of her life.
She would do anything for her children, no matter how rushed it made her feel.
She knew that things were different now from when she was younger, but her awareness of the fact would only make what was to come a lot more challenging to face.
The School To Be In
YouTube/ABC 10 News
They lived in a small town called Aurora in Colorado and she felt lucky to have her kids in Aurora’s Children’s Academy.
It was the school every parent hoped to have their kids attend.
Leeza was a single mom and tried to live as modestly as she could.
Every penny she made went towards Natalee’s education despite how hard she was studying at a school for law enforcement.
As happy as she was that her daughter was in the elite school, there was something that she didn’t like.
The Importance Of Health
Pexels
She found that the staff was health orientated.
It seemed like everything came down to the point where Leeza felt like they were nagging.
But Leeza could see where they were coming from, with statistics showing an increase in childhood obesity.
But that morning would become a problem because they didn’t have a specific type of food.
An Alternative
Facebook/Leeza Pearson
Leeza had a busy schedule, so she hadn’t been able to go to the shops the day before.
Amid the morning rush, she popped an alternative snack into her daughter’s lunch bag before rushing her off to school.
But when she picked her daughter up from school, she was not expecting Natalee to be so upset.
Upon seeing her mom, the little girl held up her lunch bag and her bottom lip wobbled before she started wailing.
Untouched
Pexels
Leeze was confused and took the lunch bag her daughter was holding out to her.
What she found when she opened, it left her in shock.
Everything she had packed in that morning was left untouched.
Her daughter hadn’t even nibbled at her favorite ham and cheese sandwich.
But that’s when Leeze spotted the note the teacher had tucked away inside.
A Letter From The Teacher
YouTube/ABC 10 News
Leeza read the part reminding her about the school’s healthy lunch policy, but she couldn’t help noticing that the note had a condescending tone.
But the letter had more to it that would fuel the anger she felt.
The letter went on about how her daughter didn’t have any fruit in her lunchbox and instead had Oreo cookies which were considered unhealthy.
But there was more.
Hunger
Wikimedia Commons
As she read, she realized that the teacher had taken Natalee’s lunch away and could only describe it as punishment. Her heart broke when she realized how hungry her little girl must have been by the time she fetched her.
Leeza was beyond angry that someone could do something so cruel.
There was no way she would sit by and let this happen to her daughter.
Taking Action
Wikimedia Commons
The school was no match for her and her love for her children.
They had no right to do what they did to her baby.
She raged with anger as she posted about what had happened on every social media app she could think of.
She didn’t hesitate to voice her opinion on why the school was hypocritical in its actions.
Just Two Cookies
Pexels
“It’s not like I was offering cookies to the entire class, and it’s not like that was the only thing in her lunch,” Leeza said.
And she wasn’t the kind of mom to shove junk food in every day.
On top of it all, her daughter was a healthy weight.
But it was the school’s candies that tipped Leeza over the edge.
Teachers Do It Too
Wikimedia Commons
More than once, the preschool teachers had handed out little candies, such as jellybeans.
They were rewards for winning games or being good.
So, why could a school hand out candy at their discretion (and without telling the parents) but putting in a cookie was ground for making a kid starve?!
Worldwide Support
YouTube/ABC 10 News
Messages came pouring in and her story spread through the internet like wildfire.
Some agreed with the school, but most agreed with her – and they sent their own angry responses directly to the Academy.
But when the news outlets got wind, that’s when the preschool finally said something.
Finally An Answer
Facebook/Leeza Pearson
It was the standard PR nonsense that anyone would expect.
But they did state that the notes were not part of the school’s policy, and denying food altogether was deplorable.
They would “look into things immediately.”
Trying To Move On
Facebook/Leeza Pearson
Even though the months passed, and it was time to send her daughter to grade school, the issue stills at heavy with Leeza.
Still, it was a fresh start.
She would continue to pack healthy things.
But if anyone tried to pull a stunt like that again, they would regret it.
