School dinner lady--

[Consumer dude]

sacked for serving pork to a Muslim. Why was she sacked ?

[duckwaddler]

If it was done with malicious intent, the the sacking would be justifiable, however if it was a genuine mistake, I don't agree she should be sacked, retraining and an apology would have been fair I would have thought.

 

But it could also have been a mistake higher up than the dinner lady, she may have been completely oblivious as to what she was serving, in which case she's not at fault whatsoever.

 

But without knowing the full details it's hard to say CD.

[BazzaS]

Awful situation if deliberate / without "due care".

 

However, as others have noted, did the dinner lady know?

 

Also if the recipient was led to believe the meal was halal, they haven't breached their religious obligations, though are entitled to feel offended for being misled.

[Consumer dude]

From what I understand, a child was asked if they wanted gammom and which they replied yes. To me the dinner lady has been sacked just for asking a question of choice ? Have I missed a point somewhere..

[duckwaddler]

Do you know how old the child is CD?

 

Perhaps the dinner lady should have take a little more care when asking a Muslim if they wanted Gammon, as to a child, depending on the age, they may not know that Gammon is pork, it's just a good job she didn't ask a child that had a peanut allergy if they wanted a particular dessert that contained peanuts

 

She'd have had far more than a breech of religion at her feet!

 

Although, as Bazza said, the child was ignorant to what the Gammon was, so haven't done anything deliberate against their religion.

 

Do you have a link by any chance?

[Consumer dude]

I'm only going on what I've heard on the news. How would the dinner lady know that the child who was seven was Muslim any more then knowing any child was Christian. There is all this talk about Muslims not being allowed to eat pork but surly that would be an individual choice rather than a religious one..

[Guest]

Do you have a link by any chance?

here's one, DM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381769/Primary-school-dinner-lady-sacked-negligence-carelessness-idleness-accidentally-served-gammon-Muslim-pupil.html

[Nystagmite]

I don't see how she can be expected to remember the dietary needs of every single student. If her parents were that concerned about this, it could have been easier to have just said she's a vegetarian?

[osdset]

Outrageous that this woman lost her job over something so effin trivial it hardly warrants a mention.

 

There should be a sign above the entrance to the dinner hall.

 

IF OUR MENU OFFENDS, GO ELSEWHERE!

Edited July 31, 2013 by osdset

[duckwaddler]

Well there you go, it was an accident, the dinner lady was very apologetic, and it seems full of shame for her mistake, so no she should not have been sacked in my opinion!

 

If anything, the catering company, and how the staff are to serve should have been responsible for not having a more efficient method of keeping any dietry requirements in terms that any normal human being can use.

 

A British Muslim group has already branded the decision ‘heavy-handed’ and an ‘overreaction’.

 

[duckwaddler]

Outrageous that this woman lost her job over something so effin trivial it hardly warrants a mention.

 

There should be a sign above the entrance to the dinner hall.

 

IF OUR MENU OFFENDS, GO ELSEWHERE!

 

The only problem you have with this Odset, is it isn't just Muslims that have different dietry requirements - some dietry requirements can be fatal if mistakes are made.

 

Also, the education system is law, so all children must attend, which in turn means that they must cater for all dietry requirements, if it were a summer holiday camp then I may agree with you.

[duckwaddler]

here's one, DM http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381769/Primary-school-dinner-lady-sacked-negligence-carelessness-idleness-accidentally-served-gammon-Muslim-pupil.html

 

Whooops, forgot to say thank you for the link Ford

[Nystagmite]

The only problem you have with this Odset, is it isn't just Muslims that have different dietry requirements - some dietry requirements can be fatal if mistakes are made.

 

This is true. I used to volunteer / do a placement at a nursery and we had many children with dietary needs. There was a list somewhere which stated which children have these dietary needs and what they can and can't eat.

 

When I was at college, I was (and still am) wheat intolerant and have a few other dietary needs. Whilst they could cater for me, it was a lot easier to take my own food in because I knew exactly what I could and couldn't eat.

[Sparks_]

I cant see how one person can remember the dietary needs of 40+ children, never mind knowing each one, as it was said they dont wear name badges even! I would expect a 7 year old to be at least know what they can and cant eat!

[duckwaddler]

This is true. I used to volunteer / do a placement at a nursery and we had many children with dietary needs. There was a list somewhere which stated which children have these dietary needs and what they can and can't eat.

 

When I was at college, I was (and still am) wheat intolerant and have a few other dietary needs. Whilst they could cater for me, it was a lot easier to take my own food in because I knew exactly what I could and couldn't eat.

 

This is it Nystagmite, had the dinner lady had a list with the childs name on, and the child was wearing a name badge, then perhaps this may not have happened.

 

She can't be expected to remember!

 

I'm wheat/gluten free also, and on the odd occasion I do eat out I always ask.

 

Perhaps at 7yrs old the child should know what it can and can't eat, however from what I understand the child just pointed at the gammon, maybe the child didn't realise it wasn't halal meat.

 

It's such a shame, and to be honest an accidental chain of events on both the dinner lady and the childs side, but if I were the dinner lady I would be suing the catering company and/or the school for not helping to identify those children with specific dietary requirements.

[Desperate Daniella]

It is absolutely outrageous that she was sacked. What's worse is that so many schools now provide halal meat to all children, and apparently it's the only meat on offer in prisons. Talk about minority rights over the majority.

 

Trying to remember the dietary requirements of 40 children would be a challenge to anyone.

 

My daughter's school has two lunch choices: If the main course of the day has meat there is a vegetarian option. If it's something like macaroni cheese/pesto pasta they all have the same. I don't think anyone has a wheat allergy but if they did they would be given vegetables and salad and not pasta. There is also a strict no nuts policy.

 

Instead of complaining the parents should have told their child always to have the vegetarian option. This poor lady should not be sacked, and she should sue for unfair dismissal if she isn't doing that already.

[Consumer dude]

My opinion is if u don't like pork, then u don't like pork. What's religion got to do with it ?

[duckwaddler]

But that's your opinion CD, you have do allow others to have theirs.

[Consumer dude]

But that's your opinion CD, you have do allow others to have theirs.[/quote

 

Oh I do. If someone don't like pork, that's a personal decision isn't it ?

[Nystagmite]

Instead of complaining the parents should have told their child always to have the vegetarian option. This poor lady should not be sacked, and she should sue for unfair dismissal if she isn't doing that already.

 

At the nursery I did my placement at, we had a few Muslim children and on the list of their dietary needs, it simply said vegetarian.

 

I do think there has been a huge overreaction here.

[duckwaddler]

But that's your opinion CD, you have do allow others to have theirs.[/quote

 

Oh I do. If someone don't like pork, that's a personal decision isn't it ?

 

The child is seven, so it's up to the parents to make that decision for them at the moment.

 

If the child said I'd prefer to play, chatter or go home rather than do my school work, we wouldn't be able to say "okay, that's your choice".

[duckwaddler]

At the nursery I did my placement at, we had a few Muslim children and on the list of their dietary needs, it simply said vegetarian.

 

I do think there has been a huge overreaction here.

 

I agree

[Desperate Daniella]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2382881/Family-got-dinner-lady-fired-accidentally-served-child-gammon-emigrating-Muslim-country.html

 

Good riddance. The father sounds like a right piece of work.

[duckwaddler]

I think that Newspaper headline is a little of an overreaction - all they did was make a complaint that their child was almost served the wrong thing, it was the ridiculous knee jerking reaction by her bosses that got her sacked, even though when it comes down to it, I think they were the ones responsible!

 

Newspapers are fond of spreading hate, I won't buy into it!

[Nystagmite]

In the article, it mentions wristbands. Surely, that's not too difficult? We had similar when I was in primary so the playground staff knew who was packed lunch and who was school dinners.