Kids Food Allergies Blog

Through this blog, I have expressed concern over schools and camps which discriminate against food allergic children or set policies that compromise their safety.

But recent news events raise an issue I fear even more: kids bullying food-allergic kids.

In Lexington, Ky ., an eighth-grade student is facing felony charges for allegedly sprinkling peanut butter crumbs into the lunchbox of a student whom he knew to be peanut-allergic. His case will be tried in the juvenile criminal justice system.

ABC News reported about a 14 year-old in Mastic, N.Y. who has received numerous food allergy-related threats from peers — bullies planning peanut parties at lunch to make her face blow up, bringing peanut butter sandwiches to make her leave their cafeteria table, threatening to put peanut butter on balls in gym class, opening up peanut butter cups in the back of the classroom. These are my worst nightmares! To make the situation worse — this abuse isn’t coming from strangers. It’s coming from kids she grew up with — had playdates and birthday parties with — who think her allergies are made up.

Her parents have fought back by filing a 504 plan, under which her food allergy is treated as a disability and certain safeguards are put in place to keep her safe. And if kids bully her, it’s considered a discrimination against a disability. But since these threats are verbal threats rather than physical assault, they are harder for teachers to recognize and enforce consequences.

I just don’t know how to keep my daughter safe from food allergy bullies. If I could get away with sending her to school looking like this, I just might give it a try.