Children with Food Allergies Should Be Shot?

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Tweeted by @MennettLeeLLC

"Children with Food Allergies Should Be Shot?"
http://69.89.31.172/~foodalm6/2014/11/25/children-food-allergies-shot/

a BOE member, identified on the site as Linda Grossman, states, "Well you should just shoot them."  Laughter is heard after the remark from several people.

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Tweeted by @NutFreeWok

Board of Ed member who suggested shooting kids with food allergies RESIGNED. Bye-bye! fb.me/3D4uMUQzx

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I've preserved the Macomb article documenting the statement and by whom in a PDF.  I'll try to download the video recording from YT later.

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Baker's pissed.  I don't think he lightly gets pissed.

McLEAN, Va. (Nov. 25, 2014) – Food Allergy Research & Education, the nation's leading nonprofit dedicated to food allergy, is calling upon the Clawson Board of Education in Michigan to immediately address the appalling comments made by one of its members during a public Board of Education meeting that suggested children with food allergies should be shot.

The comments at issue took place during a videotaped public school board meeting on Nov. 10, 2014, during a discussion about food and students with food allergies. A Clawson Board of Education member is recorded saying, when referring to students with food allergies, "Well you should just shoot them." While she may have been joking, her remarks are egregious and unacceptable. Food allergy is a potentially life-threatening disease that affects 15 million Americans.

"Food allergies are a serious illness and suggesting that these children should be shot, even in jest, is outrageous and unacceptable from a public official," said James R. Baker, Jr., M.D., CEO of FARE. "When the leadership of a local public school district is joking about children with food allergies and school violence, and fellow board members are reacting with amusement, it is abundantly clear that there is a lack of respect and empathy for families managing food allergies. We are calling for an apology and the resignation of this school board member."

Studies show that about one-third of children over the age of five with food allergies have been bullied, teased or harassed because of their food allergy. This bullying occurs across the country and not only at the hands of other children, but adult perpetrators. Comments encouraging violence from school board members only exacerbate these problems.

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Agreed-- it was definitely bullying, and the problem is that making a life-threatening medical condition a JOKE like that, well-- this particular condition requires the conscientious and compassionate assistance of others during routine management.

Allowing it to stand as "okay" to joke like that, from either administration or others in authority over children-- not good.  That is a climate "hostile" to those with the disability.  Period.

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Tweeted by @mamatude


"Clawson Finds New Footing Following 'Joke' About Shooting Allergic Children"
http://allergicliving.com/2015/01/22/clawson-finds-new-footing-following-joke-about-shooting-allergic-children/

In approaching training, "FARE felt it was critical for Clawson board members, administrators and educators to understand the serious nature of food allergies and anaphylaxis, and – hand-in-hand with that – to fully grasp the appalling and insensitive nature of the comments made by a former Clawson school board member," said Clowes. "Given the incident, I wanted to leave there knowing that they 'got it.'"

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I saw that in the FARE newsletter some time back.  In my opinion FARE sent the best person in for that job.  It required precision and grace something I've seen her do live in a crowd.