Did This Lady Deserve To Be Sacked?

[anotheoldgit]

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

A dressing down perhaps, it was not as if it was life threatening situation,
but sacked even after giving an apology, a little over the top I think, and I am not on my own apparently.

/// British Muslim groups said Ms Waldock's sacking was 'heavy-handed' and an 'overreaction'. ///

[jim360]

Serving nuts to kids with allergies runs the risk of serious health issues, so I'd say any caterer who does that deserves to be sacked. In the other two cases, it's a moral/ religious/ cultural issue and ought to be respected, but is hardly fatal if a mistake is made.

[EcclesCake]

As Barmaid has said, it will all come out at the tribunal if it goes that far..........

[Spoonboy]

The easier option for the school is not to serve pork products whatsoever.

[chrisgel]

//Rumana, 33, said: “The person there said the dinner lady didn’t care or wasn’t that bothered.” //
That does not sound right at all. I don't think there's any way that the head would have said that to the parent.

[zebo]

Spoonboy, why should one group of pupils be allowed to determine the menu of the school? Can a parent object to their child being served halal meat?

[baza]

if the school served veggie only meals the problem is solved. Having read the links sacking does seem over the top, but lets see the outcome of the appeal.

[Spoonboy]

Then, the school should get together with all parents of children and come up with a daily menu that will suit everyones tastes.

[viv38]

Well said Zebo.

[hc4361]

Spoonboy -- nor beef for the Hindus or Sikhs that don't eat it; nor anything with nuts in for those with allergies; nor anything dairy for the dairy intollerant; nor gluten for the gluten intollerant; nor sugar for those with ADHD.

By implication, all other meat served at this school has been slaughtered by Halal methods.

[Spoonboy]

I am allergic to many foods, when I was at Junior school no one asked if any of the food they plonked on the plate was harmful to me; I had to just ignore the harmful foods and weather the terrible dinner lady looks for wasting food.

[hc4361]

If my child were allergic to many foods, he'd take a packed lunch.

[Spoonboy]

Today, that is a viable option, with the elf and safety mob. Back then, I doubt elf and safety were ever thought of: that, or they were dreaming of the future.

[anotheoldgit]

hc4361

/// Would it be acceptable for those children to wear a badge, either colour coded, pictogram or word(s)? It would make it a lot easier for the dinner staff, especially for any relief workers. ///

Oh I am so glad that you made that sensible suggestion, had I had said the same, I would be accused of Nazism and the Star of David, and why not tattoos would be the cry.

[hc4361]

AOG, I did make it clear that a badge stating Muslim, Jew etc would be unacceptable.

I would not allow any child of mine to eat school meals because all the meat (except pork) is slaughtered by the Halal method and as a family we choose not to eat it.

[douglas9401]

Somebody's made a pig's ear of things that's for sure.

[TurkishBioHazard]

As a moslim i say hell no. Beside that if you eat pork without knowing it or dont understand what it is, something that can happen when your 7 years old, thats not a sin. They wanted to fire her to like she said or because they can hire someone cheaper. That *** just used a religion to get what he wanted.

[cassa333]

Either her employers are either so scared of pc and offending that they have acted in the extreem to cover their back sides and to say ''' look at us we care so much about everyone etc etc etc''' or they were trying to get rid of her (or someones position) that it was a fine and dandy excuse.

I think there is more to this than one mistake.

[boxtops]

Turkish, that's my understanding too - if you eat something by mistake which is forbidden, it's not that important, it's the deliberate eating or drinking which is frowned upon.

[jno]

as others have said, there seems to be more to this than the Mail reported (surprise!) and some of it can be seen in the local paper. Specifically, the employer's note that they don't sack people for a single mistake. So let's see what comes out of any further hearing, shall we?