An Idaho cafeteria worker is now out of a job after giving a free meal to a hungry child.
Dalene Bowden says that when a 12-year old student told her that she had no money for lunch and was hungry, she gave her the meal for free and told the student she would handle it. Bowden says that her supervisor saw the exchange and reported her to their district manager. “He said I was on permanent leave until he called me. I should not call them. He will call me. And they never called me. I got the letter,” Bowden said. The letter detailed the cause of Bowden’s termination as “theft” of school district property.
“I know I screwed up, but what are you supposed to do when the kid tells you that they’re hungry and they don’t have any money,” Bowden said.
The meal would have costed a total of $1.70, which Bowden says she offered to pay but was rejected. Bowden has allegedly hired an attorney.
