Colorado school lunch lady fired for giving food to crying children without enough money
“I'll own up that I broke the law,” Della Curry said of being fired from her job as an elementary school kitchen manager. “The law needs to change.”
She fed a few hungry children, and this Colorado elementary school kitchen manager was fired for her kindness.
Della Curry was dismissed from Dakota Valley Elementary School in Aurora on Friday after being caught feeding kids whose parents couldn't afford to pay for their food, reports CBS Denver.
Students who don't qualify for the free or reduced lunch program should only get a slice of cheese on a burger bun and a small drink of milk, Cherry Creek School District rules say.
Curry, however, doesn't believe that is enough.
"I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn't have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch," she told CBS Denver.
CBS NEWS
At Dakota Valley Elementary School in Aurora, Colo., this meager cheese slice sandwich is all the food kids are allowed to get if they're too poor to buy lunch but don't qualify for a free meal.
For free lunches in the district, a family of four has to have a household income of less than $31,000. For reduced meals, the threshold is below $45,000.
Curry, who claimed she often paid for some kids' meals out of her own pocket, remained defiant following her dismissal.
"I'll own up that I broke the law," she said. "The law needs to change."
District officials suggested that the children merely forgot their lunch money, but Curry said the youngsters she'd helped came from families who made too much money to qualify for the programs, but didn't have enough cash for food.
CBS NEWS
The Cherry Creek School District under which Dakota Valley Elementary School falls said it wouldn't comment on Curry's firing.
She said that if her actions led to a change in the law, then she would "take it in a heartbeat."
Parents were outraged at the decision.
"Do something different than fire her. She's trying to help," said Darnell Hill, the father of one boy Curry fed.
Cherry Creek School District said it didn't comment on personnel issues.
But in a statement, it added that the law "does not require the school district to provide the meal to children who have forgotten their lunch money, that is a district decision."
“I'll own up that I broke the law,” Della Curry said of being fired from her job as an elementary school kitchen manager. “The law needs to change.”
She fed a few hungry children, and this Colorado elementary school kitchen manager was fired for her kindness.
Della Curry was dismissed from Dakota Valley Elementary School in Aurora on Friday after being caught feeding kids whose parents couldn't afford to pay for their food, reports CBS Denver.
Students who don't qualify for the free or reduced lunch program should only get a slice of cheese on a burger bun and a small drink of milk, Cherry Creek School District rules say.
Curry, however, doesn't believe that is enough.
"I had a first grader in front of me, crying, because she doesn't have enough money for lunch. Yes, I gave her lunch," she told CBS Denver.
CBS NEWS
At Dakota Valley Elementary School in Aurora, Colo., this meager cheese slice sandwich is all the food kids are allowed to get if they're too poor to buy lunch but don't qualify for a free meal.
For free lunches in the district, a family of four has to have a household income of less than $31,000. For reduced meals, the threshold is below $45,000.
Curry, who claimed she often paid for some kids' meals out of her own pocket, remained defiant following her dismissal.
"I'll own up that I broke the law," she said. "The law needs to change."
District officials suggested that the children merely forgot their lunch money, but Curry said the youngsters she'd helped came from families who made too much money to qualify for the programs, but didn't have enough cash for food.
CBS NEWS
The Cherry Creek School District under which Dakota Valley Elementary School falls said it wouldn't comment on Curry's firing.
She said that if her actions led to a change in the law, then she would "take it in a heartbeat."
Parents were outraged at the decision.
"Do something different than fire her. She's trying to help," said Darnell Hill, the father of one boy Curry fed.
Cherry Creek School District said it didn't comment on personnel issues.
But in a statement, it added that the law "does not require the school district to provide the meal to children who have forgotten their lunch money, that is a district decision."
