This is a situation most of us have faced at one point or another. Someone has a severe allergy and we must make certain accommodations to protect them. Well, in Florida, some parents have had quite enough with their elementary school's new rules to protect a little girl.
Volusia County, Florida is the location of Edgewater Elementary School. A six-year-old girl in that school has a severe peanut allergy that could put her life at risk. The school implemented a series of new regulations this fall to protect the little girl. Among them, students must leave their lunch boxes outside the room and wash their hands both before and after eating. Well, parents are picketing to have the girl withdraw from the school, claiming the rules take time and focus away from their children.
"We have nothing against this little girl being at school, but we don't want it to take away from our children's education," Carie Starkey, one of the protestors said.
The young girl's mother, Tracey Bailey, responded to the protests by saying, "We 100 percent, hands-down want to work with the parents to work this out. We want to do what is best for all kids at the school, not just our daughter." The school responds that they are legally required to make accommodations for all students, regardless of the disability. CNN points out that schools provide safe learning environments for people with conditions like HIV, hemophilia and other severe medical conditions.
What do you think? Are the parents right in this case or is the school? With food allergies on the rise, this is an issue likely to pop up more frequently. No peanuts on airplanes, "nut-free" classrooms, where do parents have the right to draw the line? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by EuroMagic
