Chicago School Bans Homemade Lunches To Protect Students From Unhealthy Food Choices

In an extraordinary rejection of parental decision-making over their children’s diets, the administration at Little Village Academy on Chicago’s West Side has banned homemade lunches to protect students from the unhealthy diet choices of their parents.

Students will now need a medical excuse to bring a lunch because Principal Elsa Carmona does not trust the nutrition choices of the parents. She explains “[n]utrition wise, it is better for the children to eat at the school. It’s about the nutrition and the excellent quality food that they are able to serve (in the lunchroom). It’s milk versus a Coke. But with allergies and any medical issue, of course, we would make an exception.”

While I respect the motivation, I find this policy to be another unnecessary intrusion into parental rights and authority. I have no problem with Carmona sending nutritional flyers to parents and encouraging their inclusion of healthy foods.

I will not get into conspiracy theories surrounding certain lunch ladies:

Source: Chicago Tribune

Jonathan Turley