A school district in Pennsylvania is coming under fire for sending a letter to parents saying their kids would be taken away from them and placed into foster care if their unpaid lunch debts were not paid, according to a published report.
About 40 families received the letter, according to the report. In total, about 1,000 families owe $22,000 in unpaid school lunch debts.
“Your child has been sent to school every day without money and without a breakfast and/or lunch,” Wyoming Valley West School District Director of Federal Programs Joseph Muth wrote in the letter. “This is a failure to provide your child with proper nutrition … the result may be your child being removed from your home and placed in foster care. … please remit payment as soon as possible to avoid being reported to the proper authorities.”
The school district had been sending less threatening collection letters and making phone calls to parents with unpaid lunch debts. A lawyer for the district said he was prepared to start taking legal action against the families, and would question the parents if they had spent money on “unnecessary items,” like lottery tickets and alcoholic beverages.
The parents might need a drink after reading the letter, which was an “empty threat,” said a county manager, and the district’s foster care system has offered to train the school district about the role it plays in helping kids who have been victims of abuse or tragedies.
Families who received the letter will be receiving a follow-up message with an apology, according to the report.
