Peanuts and Bullies Do Not Mix
Sarah VanEssendelft is a 14 year-old middle school student in Mastic, New York. Sarah suffers from a serious peanut allergy, a condition that she has had since she was a young child. Many of the girls and boys in her class have known about her allergy since elementary school.
But, now that she is in middle school she has become a victim of bullies who use her allergy against her.
At lunch some of the girls decided they did not want her to sit at their table. To get her to leave, they brought peanut and jelly sandwiches to lunch.
Two weeks later, a boy opened a peanut butter cup near her and Sarah immediately reacted. Her throat felt tight and her lips began to swell. She was rushed to the emergency room for breathing problems.
Even after that experience some of the students did not believe that Sarah’s reaction was real. They thought she was faking to get attention.
Finally, Sarah’s parents asked the school to develop a 504 Disability Plan that treats a peanut allergy the same as it treats other disabilities.
Now all of Sarah’s classes have a no-eating designation. She also has a special chaperone that goes with her on all field trips and her bus has to be swept out and cleaned of peanut residue before she gets on.
Now if she is bullied, the students could be charged with discrimination of a disability.
More students than ever before are being diagnosed with peanut allergies. The number has doubled in the last five years.
New York and four other states already have laws that protect children with peanut allergies and some schools have banned peanuts altogether.
According to a recent report, 79 percent of students claim to have been bullied at some point in school. For those with peanut allergies, the bullying can be fatal.
Source: ABC News
BLOG QUESTION
Should schools adopt a no peanut rule to protect students with allergies?
But, now that she is in middle school she has become a victim of bullies who use her allergy against her.
At lunch some of the girls decided they did not want her to sit at their table. To get her to leave, they brought peanut and jelly sandwiches to lunch.
Two weeks later, a boy opened a peanut butter cup near her and Sarah immediately reacted. Her throat felt tight and her lips began to swell. She was rushed to the emergency room for breathing problems.
Even after that experience some of the students did not believe that Sarah’s reaction was real. They thought she was faking to get attention.
Finally, Sarah’s parents asked the school to develop a 504 Disability Plan that treats a peanut allergy the same as it treats other disabilities.
Now all of Sarah’s classes have a no-eating designation. She also has a special chaperone that goes with her on all field trips and her bus has to be swept out and cleaned of peanut residue before she gets on.
Now if she is bullied, the students could be charged with discrimination of a disability.
More students than ever before are being diagnosed with peanut allergies. The number has doubled in the last five years.
New York and four other states already have laws that protect children with peanut allergies and some schools have banned peanuts altogether.
According to a recent report, 79 percent of students claim to have been bullied at some point in school. For those with peanut allergies, the bullying can be fatal.
Source: ABC News
BLOG QUESTION
Should schools adopt a no peanut rule to protect students with allergies?
1 Comments:
I think that schools should ban peanuts. I have a friend who is allergic to many things, and she gets an allergic reaction from just being near the food.
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