School cafeteria worker quits in lunch shaming

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- A public school cafeteria worker has quit over what she considers a "lunch shaming" policy in a Pennsylvania school district. Stacy Kotiska says she quit last week after she had to take a hot lunch away from an elementary school student because the child's parent had fallen more than $25 behind in paying for his school lunches.

The Canon-McMillan School District enacted the policy to deal with a backlog of about 300 parents who owed tens of thousands of dollars. Now fewer than 70 parents owe money, and the district says the policy isn't meant to shame students.

The policy says students from kindergarten through sixth grade will lose their hot lunch and get a sandwich and fruit if their parents owe more than $25. Older students get no lunch at all if their parents owe that much.