Parents in Florida are outraged after a middle-school fundraising form went out that offers students VIP passes to the front of the lunch line—but only if they pay a $100 donation.
The letter form is from a PTSA sponsorship for the Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland. It was sent out to parents of students to raise money for the school. But one part of the form stated that a $100 donation would allow the donor a “front of the lunch line pass” and a “last name or company logo feature on the website.”
According to ABC News, parents are calling the incident “cafeteria classism.”
One Lakeland father, Christ Stephenson, told ABC News he was upset over receiving the letter.
“You got those who can pay, and those who cannot,” he said.
Stephenson told ABC News that he even went red when he saw the form in his 6th grader’s orientation packet.
“Hey my dad has more money than you I get to eat first you have to wait you have to wait,” Stephenson thought the students would say.
Many parents, including Stephenson, were outraged and contacted the principal of the academy to complain. But the principle of the middle-school, Brian Andrews, said he didn’t even sign off on the paperwork.
“I have strived to be as inclusive as possible with all kids and this is not something I support,” Andrews told WFLA.
Andrews said he did not approve of the fundraiser and was not even aware that sponsor forms were inside the orientation packets.
“This fundraiser will not be taking place at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy,” Andrews said in an email to parents, according to WFLA.
