Dinner Lady...the Other Side Of The Story

[sp1814]

Remember earlier this week, when we discussed the sacking of the dinner lady who served the Muslim kid gammon and was subsequently sack?

Some of us commented that the story (as reported by the Daily Mail), seemed 'wrong'.

Presenting the other side of the story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/02/alison-waldock-row-muslim-parents-speak_n_3694477.html

Does this now change anyone's opinion one the story?

[EDDIE51]

There is always a bit of a scuffle in a prison canteen to get behind a Muslim when bacon is on the menu. Those lags who 'know the system' will realise that the Muslim will refuse the bacon and it is usual to offer his portion to the next person in the queue so being next in line behind a Muslim means a double ration of bacon.

[EDDIE51]

By the way Halal slaughter house's simply have a tape loop constantly playing the prayers in the background as the animals are killed, there is never an actual Iman there.

[Mamyalynne]

I am with NJ on this, if my children had had any dietary needs either through health or moral choice - I would have sent them with homemade lunches.

[boxtops]

..and that is what the parent is saying they did, aren't they? The story is very confusing.

[Mamyalynne]

Just a bit Boxy.

[Gromit]

New Judge

This firm were supplying a meals service and the schools parents were paying up front for dinners (£70 a term). There was a published menu and meals were chosen and options for halal or vegetarian could be requested in advance. That is the service that was operated and that is what the parents were paying for.

Somehow, something went wrong and the service did not function as advertised. A girl who had ticked the halal option ended up with some dead pig on her plate. An investigation and hearing with Union representaion resulted in a dinner lady geing sacked. This was several months ago but she has not taken it to an employment tribunal for unfair dismisal.

If I had paid for a meal and got the wrong thing I would complain. If a restaurant had done this they could be sued. Just because this was a schools meal service does not mean it is trivial. The company delivering the service has many dinner ladies to keep employed, and keeping the customer (the schools) happy is how they keep their business. If one member of the team is not performing adequately, then they have to be let go, for the employment security of the others.

[sp1814]

NJ

The important part of this story is that it was not a one off.

If she can serve pork to Muslims and meat to vegetarians, how long before she serves peanut sauce to someone with a nut allergy?

Again...does anyone seriously believes she was sacked for this single incident?

Really?

C'mon...

[tamborine]

Didnt the lil murdered Polish Pelka boy starve coz school adhered to mothers lies? Feed a hungry child if nowt else is available.

[joko]

how many different names are there for pig meat?

pig, ham, pork, gammon, bacon... theres pork sausages, pork chop, but they are just types of pork ... that's all i can think of really ... are there many others?


if its such a huge issue in your family then you would teach that to your child.

as the parents state, the child knows all about halal, so surely she should have known gammon was pig meat ...

[Orderlimit]

Zahid Darr, is believed to be moving to the United Arab Emirates . Good riddance to another criminal hopefully.

[Svejk]

Even if she didn't know, it doesn't matter. Its only a 'sin' for a muslim to KNOWINGLY eat pork. So if she didn't know it didn't matter.
SP, do you know something about this case that no-one else does? You seem to have (gleefully) condemned this woman with no evidence whatsoever.

[sp1814]

Svejk

I'm only going on common sense, and by what has been reported.

This was not the first time she had made such a mistake.

If you believe that the story printed in the Daily Mail was 100% true and that it was a one-off error, then I would wholeheartedly agree that sacking was unfair.

I said earlier this week that the story seemed 'wrong', and now I'm certain of it.

[sp1814]

Joko

That's where the story gets confusing. The child had a packed lunch (according to the parents) that day...

[tamborine]

spit it out SP, are you accusing the woman of deliberately removing the packed lunch in favour of gammon ?

[Svejk]

Out of sight of zealous parents, muslim child, not for the first time, tries to tuck into tasty piece of gammon.(Possibly with knowing wink from nice dinner lady)
Know all, know nothing, head teacher dives on said gammon.
Then to parade her right-on sensibilities further she makes a bit of a hoo-ha with herself as the heroine of the piece.
Nice dinner lady's torn because she wants to resolve matters without landing child in it.
Perhaps.

[naomi24]

//An email about it was sent out to all the parents.//

Why? There was no harm done – so why would the headmistress create waves for the school by emailing all parents and by asking these particular parents to come in to discuss, on behalf of the other Muslims, a dinner lady's error that was rectified anyway? The child (who had a packed lunch, so presumably shouldn’t have been in the line-up for school lunch) didn’t eat the pork – and according to the mother, she “clearly understands the difference between halal and non-halal meat” – so why would she have accepted the meat at all?

There’s something very wrong with this story. It doesn’t make sense. I’m wondering if the headmistress wanted to get rid of this lady. Strange that the headmistress hasn’t spoken to the press.

[EDDIE51]

Naomi if you read the link there had been a string of complaints about this lady, she had served meat to vegetarians and the wrong food to other children with special dietary requirements many times before. Other parents had complained about her as well. She had a union solicitor with her at the hearing but was still dismissed , she has not yet registered an appeal despite this being several months ago. All in all she was just an incompetent worker and has been justifiably dismissed.

[naomi24]

Eddie, I've read the link. Perhaps there have been complaints against her - but this doesn't make sense to me.

[murraymints]

How on earth is a dinner lady supposed to know the religion of every pupil in school or veggies for that matter ? It's the parent's responsibility to educate children what's permitted and what's not ! She's a dinner lady for goodness sake , not the food police !!!

[New Judge]

No I don't believe it's a one-off and I don't believe the woman was sacked for this transgression alone. But the issue of serving pork to Muslims (which is certainly not the same as serving nuts to a child with a life threatening allergy) is so trivial and ridiculous that it is not worthy of headline news.

It's strange that Muslims in this matter are deemed worthy of support whilst Christians who refute gay marriage (both issue simply a matter of religious requirements) are castigated.